A lass is a girl or young woman. The word comes from Scotland and northern England, where people still use it today. You might hear someone say, “She's a bonnie lass,” meaning she's a pretty or pleasant girl. In old Scottish and Irish folk songs, you'll often find lasses dancing at festivals, working in fields, or being admired by young men called lads.

The word carries a cheerful, informal feeling, like calling someone a “gal” or “kid.” A Scottish grandmother might call her granddaughter “my wee lass” (meaning “my little girl”). In stories set in Scotland or Ireland, characters often speak of the “lasses and lads” of the village, meaning the young people in the community.

While lass isn't commonly used in everyday American English, you'll encounter it in folk songs, historical novels, and stories set in the British Isles. Its male counterpart is lad.