lad

Etymology

From Middle English ladde (“foot soldier, servant; male commoner; boy”), from late Old English *ladda (attested in Old English personal byname Ladda), probably of North Germanic origin. Compare Old Norse ladd (“hose, woolen stocking; sock”), which may have undergone semantic shift to mean a term of abuse (e.g. foolish youth, youngster of lower social status, etc.); thence by connotative amelioration coming to mean any young fellow. Compare Norwegian ladd (“rough sock, woolen or felt slipper”) and the -ladd in compounds Askeladd/Askeladden (a nick name in fairy tailes, "Ash Lad") and tusseladd (“nincompoop”). See also Swedish ladder (“old shoes”), lodde (“Frisian shoe”), lädder (“socks”), all said to be related to Old Norse loðinn (“hairy, shaggy, woolly”), loddi (“shaggy dog”).

noun

1. A boy or young man.
   Coordinate term: lass
   And it came to paſſe the day folowing, when they came downe from the mountaine, there mette him a great multitude. And behold a man of the multitude cried out, ſaying, Maiſter, I beſeeche thee, looke vpõ my ſonne, becauſe he is mine only one. And loe, the ſpirit taketh him, and he ſodenly crieth, and he daſheth him, and teareth him that he fometh, and with much a doe departeth renting him. And I deſired thy diſciples to caſt him out, and they could not. And IESVS anſwering ſaid, O faithles and peruerſe generation, how long ſhal I be with you and ſuffer you? Bring hither thy ſonne. And when he came to him, the deuil daſhed, and tore him. And IESVS rebuked the vncleane ſpirit, and healed the lad: and rendred him to his father. And al were aſtonied at the might of God: and al merueiling at al things that he did, he said to his diſciples, Lay you in your hartes theſe vvordes, for it ſhal come to paſſe that the Sonne of man ſhal be deliuered into the hands of men. But they did not know this word, and it was couered before them, that they perceiued it not. And they were afraid to aſke him of this word. And there entred a cogitation into them, which of them ſhould be greater. But IESVS ſeeing the cogitations of their hart, tooke a childe and ſet him by him, and ſaid to them, Whoſoeuer receiueth this childe in my name, receiueth me: and whoſoeuer receiueth me, receiueth him that ſent me. For he that is the leſſer among you al, he is the greater. And Iohn, anſwering ſaid, Maiſter, we ſaw a certaine man caſting out deuils in thy name, and we prohibited him, becauſe he foloweth not with vs. And IESVS ſaid to him, Prohibit not, for he that is not againſt you, is for you. 1582 – 1610, Douay Rheims Bible, Gospel of Saint Luke IX.37–50
2. (Britain) A Jack the lad; a boyo.
   Coordinate term: ladette
   I think he reckons he’s a bit of a lad.
   Last night I was out drinking with the lads.
3. A familiar term of address for a young man.
   Come here, lad, and help me shift these boxes.
4. A groom who works with horses.
5. (Ireland, colloquial) The penis.
   — The lad stood to attention anyhow, he said with a sigh. She's a gamey mare and no mistake. 1922, James Joyce, Ulysses, page 225
   Mrs Glynn: Oh but there's this great bit in it. You see, there was this girl, but then you find out it's not a girl but a man! Mrs Sheridan: And he got his lad out. 1995-05-05, Graham Linehan, Arthur Matthews, “The Passion of St Tibulus”, in Father Ted
   And he loaded the chariot with clods and boulders and cobbles that he fired at anyone who came to stare at him and jeer him, stark naked as he was, with his long lad and his acorns dangling down through the floor of the chariot. 2007, anonymous author, translated by Ciaran Carson, The Táin, page 175
   Just thinking about how she would look without her clothes made his lad twitch with anticipation. 2010, Loucinda McGary, The Wild Irish Sea: A Windswept Tale of Love and Magic, page 11