girl

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[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

A group of girls in Sri Lanka.

Origin unknown. The Middle English gyrle (child of either sex) suggests an Old English *gyrele < Proto-Germanic *gurwilon- (diminutive of * *gurwjoz) < Proto-Indo-European *ghwrgh-. In that case, one cognate is Low German gör, göre (child) (or these words could have been borrowed into English). Another possibility (after Robinson 1967) is Old English gyrela (dress, garment).

[edit] Pronunciation

[edit] Noun

Singular
girl

Plural
girls

girl (plural girls)

  1. A young female (in contrast to boy), usually a child or adolescent.
    Amanda is a girl of 16.
  2. Any woman, regardless of her age. See usage notes.
  3. A female servant; a maid. See usage notes.
  4. (figuratively, pejorative) A boy with girl-like qualities, especially squeamishness.
    Stop being such a girl and punch back.
  5. (uncommon) A queen (the playing card.)[1]
  6. (colloquial) A term of endearment. See usage notes.

[edit] Usage notes

  • (any woman, regardless of her age): Calling a grown woman a "girl" may be considered either a compliment or an insult, depending on context and sensibilities. In some cases, the term is used as a euphemism for virgin, to distinguish a female who has never engaged in sexual intercourse whereas a woman is one who has done so.

[edit] Synonyms

[edit] Derived terms

Look at pages starting with girl.

[edit] Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

[edit] References

  • Notes:
  1. ^ * Weisenberg, Michael (2000) The Official Dictionary of Poker. MGI/Mike Caro University. ISBN 978-1880069523

[edit] See also

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