lesbian

Definition

Homosexual, gay; preferring exclusively women as romantic or sexual partners.

Etymology

From Latin Lesbiana, from Ancient Greek Λέσβος (Lésbos) + Latin adjective suffix -iana; by reference to Sappho of Lesbos (whence also sapphist, sapphic), known for her sentimental poems about women. This sense of the word may have been borrowed from, or influenced by, the German cognate lesbisch, where it is found in medical literature from the 1830s.

Example Sentences

• "Lesbian fans of the show were rooting for Jane and Amanda to get together."
• "a lesbian relationship / marriage / kiss"
• "The so-termed Lesbian love is a vice of a still more hideous and degrading nature than pederasty."