ladies

See also: Ladies, ladies', and laddies

English

Etymology

As a lavatory for women, via misspelling of ladies'. Compare gents.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈleɪdiz/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪdiz

Noun

ladies

1. plural of lady
   • 2014, C.S. Walter, Abandoned Bridges, pp. 105 f.:

     He wet his thumb with saliva pressing on the tongue, ran it up and down faster over the letter 'I' of 'TOILET', the 'LADIES TOILET' was transformed into 'LADIES TO LET' in no time.

2. (obsolete) genitive of lady
   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto VIII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 59:

     The morrow next about the wanted howre, / The Dwarfe cald at the doore of Amyas, / To come forthwith unto his Ladies bowre.

   • 1589–1593, William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies, London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, Act IV, scene iii, page 24:

     Vrge not my fathers anger (Eglamoure) / But thinke vpon my griefe (a Ladies griefe) / And on the iuſtice of my flying hence, / To keepe me from a moſt vnholy match, / Which heauen and fortune ſtill rewards with plagues.

   • 1690, John Dryden, Don Sebastian, King of Portugal: A Tragedy Acted at the Theatre Royal, London: Jo. Hindmarſh, Act V, page 118:

     And ſince not only a dead Fathers fame, / But more a Ladies honour muſt be touch’d, / Which nice as Ermines will not bear a Soil ; / Let all retire ; that you alone may hear / What ev’n in whiſpers I won’d tell your ear.

Coordinate terms

• gents, gentlemen, men, sirs

Derived terms

• ladies and gentlemen

Noun

ladies (uncountable)

1. (Britain, euphemistic) A ladies' room: a lavatory intended for use by women.

   Pardon me, I need to visit the ladies.

Synonyms

• see Thesaurus:bathroom

Coordinate terms

• gents, gentlemen, men, sirs
• men's

See also

• madams, mesdames
• Appendix:Special uses of possessives in English

References

• ladies at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• aisled, aslide, deasil, ideals, sailed, sideal

French

Alternative forms

• ladys

Noun

ladies f

1. plural of lady

Anagrams

• délais, délias, laides

Middle English

Etymology 1

From lady +‎ -es (“plural ending”).

Noun

ladies

1. plural of lady

Etymology 2

From lady +‎ -es (“genitive ending”).

Noun

ladies

1. genitive of lady

Spanish

Noun

ladies f pl

1. plural of lady