lesbian

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• General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ˈlɛz.bi.ən/
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• General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• rhymes with -ɛzbiən
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• CMU ARPABET: L EH1 Z B IY0 AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
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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.

From Latin Lesbius (“Lesbian”) (for further etymology, see Ancient Greek Λέσβος (Lésbos)) + adjective suffix -an, from Latin adjective suffix -anus. The sense of “gay woman” is a reference to Sappho, a famous inhabitant of Lesbos and gay poet.

272 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Bulgarian: лесбийски (lesbijski) — of a woman: preferring women partners
• Bulgarian: обратна (obratna) — of a woman: preferring women partners
• Catalan: lesbiana — of a woman: preferring women partners
• Czech: lesbický — of a woman: preferring women partners
• Danish: lesbisk — of a woman: preferring women partners
• Danish: læbbe — of a woman: preferring women partners
• Dutch: lesbisch — of a woman: preferring women partners
• Esperanto: lesbanino — of a woman: preferring women partners
• Esperanto: lesba — of a woman: preferring women partners
• Estonian: lesbi — of a woman: preferring women partners
• Finnish: lesbolainen — of a woman: preferring women partners
• Georgian: ლესბოსელი (lesboseli) — of a woman: preferring women partners
• Georgian: დედათმავალი (dedatmavali) — of a woman: preferring women partners
• German: lesbisch — of a woman: preferring women partners
• Hebrew: לֶסְבִּית (lésbit) — of a woman: preferring women partners
• Hungarian: leszbikus — of a woman: preferring women partners
• Icelandic: lesbískur — of a woman: preferring women partners
• Ido: lesbiana — of a woman: preferring women partners
• Indonesian: lesbi — of a woman: preferring women partners
• Indonesian: lesbian — of a woman: preferring women partners
• Irish: leispiach — of a woman: preferring women partners
• Italian: lesbica — of a woman: preferring women partners
• Marathi: लेस्बियन (lesbiyan) — of a woman: preferring women partners
• Norman: lesbien — of a woman: preferring women partners
• Norwegian Bokmål: lesbisk — of a woman: preferring women partners
• Norwegian Nynorsk: lesbisk — of a woman: preferring women partners
• Polish: lesbijski — of a woman: preferring women partners
• Polish: lesbijska — of a woman: preferring women partners
• Portuguese: lésbica — of a woman: preferring women partners
• Slovak: lesbický — of a woman: preferring women partners
• Spanish: lesbiana — of a woman: preferring women partners
• Swedish: lesbisk — of a woman: preferring women partners
• Tagalog: lesbya — of a woman: preferring women partners
• Turkish: lezbiyen — of a woman: preferring women partners
• Vietnamese: đồng tính — of a woman: preferring women partners
• Welsh: lesbiaidd — of a woman: preferring women partners
• Yiddish: לעסביאַניש (lesbyanish) — of a woman: preferring women partners
• Afrikaans: lesbies — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Arabic: سِحَاقِيّ (siḥāqiyy) — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Belarusian: лесбі́йскі (ljesbíjski) — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Bengali: লেসবিয়ান (lesbiẏan) — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Bulgarian: лесби́йски (lesbíjski) — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Catalan: lesbià — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Chinese Mandarin: 女同性戀的 /女同性恋的 (nǚ tóngxìngliàn de) — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Chinese Mandarin: 女同的 (nǚtóng de) — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Chinese Mandarin: 拉拉的 (lālā de) — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Czech: lesbický — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Danish: lesbisk — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Dutch: lesbisch — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Esperanto: lesba — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Finnish: lesbo- — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Finnish: lesbolainen — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Finnish: lesbo — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• French: lesbien — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Galician: lesbiano — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Georgian: ლესბოსური (lesbosuri) — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Georgian: დედათმავლური (dedatmavluri) — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• German: lesbisch — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Greek: λεσβιακός (lesviakós) — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Icelandic: lesbískur — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Indonesian: lesbian — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Indonesian: lesbi — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Irish: leispiach — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Italian: lesbico — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Japanese: レズの (rezu no) — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Japanese: レズビアンの (rezubian no) — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Japanese: レズビアン (rezubian) — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Korean: 레즈비언 (rejeubieon) — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Luxembourgish: lesbesch — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Macedonian: ле́збејски (lézbejski) — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Marathi: लेस्बियन (lesbiyan) — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Norman: lesbien — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Norwegian Bokmål: lesbisk — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Norwegian Nynorsk: lesbisk — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Polish: lesbijski — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Portuguese: lésbico — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Russian: лесби́йский (lesbíjskij) — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Russian: лесбия́нский (lesbijánskij) — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Scottish Gaelic: leasbach — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Serbo-Croatian: лезбејски — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Serbo-Croatian: lezbejski — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Slovak: lesbický — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Slovene: lezbični — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Spanish: lesbiano — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Spanish: lesbio — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Spanish: lésbico — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Swahili: shoga — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Swedish: lesbisk — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Turkish: lezbiyen — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Ukrainian: лесбі́йський (lesbíjsʹkyj) — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Vietnamese: đồng tính — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Yiddish: לעסביאַניש (lesbyanish) — between two women; pertaining to women's homosexuality
• Catalan: lesbià — intended for lesbians
• Chinese Mandarin: 女同性戀的 /女同性恋的 (nǚ tóngxìngliàn de) — intended for lesbians
• Chinese Mandarin: 女同的 (nǚtóng de) — intended for lesbians
• Chinese Mandarin: 拉拉的 (lālā de) — intended for lesbians
• Czech: lesbický — intended for lesbians
• Esperanto: lesba — intended for lesbians
• Esperanto: porlesba — intended for lesbians
• Finnish: lesbo- — intended for lesbians
• German: Lesben- — intended for lesbians
• Icelandic: lesbíu- — intended for lesbians
• Irish: leispiach — intended for lesbians
• Italian: lesbico — intended for lesbians
• Norwegian Bokmål: lesbisk — intended for lesbians
• Norwegian Nynorsk: lesbisk — intended for lesbians
• Scottish Gaelic: leasbach — intended for lesbians
• Slovak: lesbický — intended for lesbians
• Swedish: lesbisk — intended for lesbians
• Turkish: lezbiyen — intended for lesbians
• Dutch: Lesbisch — of the island of Lesbos
• French: lesbien — of the island of Lesbos
• German: lesbisch — of the island of Lesbos
• German: leviotisch — of the island of Lesbos
• German: lesvonisch — of the island of Lesbos
• Ancient Greek: Λέσβιος (Lésbios) — of the island of Lesbos
• Abkhaz: алесбиан (alesbjan) — gay woman
• Afrikaans: lesbiër — gay woman
• Afrikaans: lesbiërs — gay woman
• Albanian: lesbo — gay woman
• Arabic: سِحَاقِيَّة (siḥāqiyya) — gay woman
• Arabic: لِيزْبِيَان (lezbiyān) — gay woman
• Arabic: ليزبيان (lézbiyan) — gay woman
• Armenian: լեսբուհի (lesbuhi) — gay woman
• Azerbaijani: lezbiyen — gay woman
• Basque: lesbiana — gay woman
• Belarusian: лесбія́нка (ljesbijánka) — gay woman
• Belarusian: лесбі́йка (ljesbíjka) — gay woman
• Bengali: লেসবিয়ান (lesbiyan) — gay woman
• Central Bikol: papanay — gay woman
• Breton: lesbian — gay woman
• Bulgarian: лесби́йка (lesbíjka) — gay woman
• Bulgarian: обра́тна (obrátna) — gay woman
• Catalan: lesbiana — gay woman
• Chinese Cantonese: 女同性戀者 /女同性恋者 (neoi5 tung4 sing3 lyun2 ze2) — gay woman
• Chinese Cantonese: 女同志 (neoi5 tung4 zi3) — gay woman
• Chinese Cantonese: 豆腐婆 — gay woman
• Chinese Cantonese: 叻女 — gay woman
• Chinese Cantonese: 基婆 — gay woman
• Chinese Mandarin: 女同性戀者 /女同性恋者 (nǚ tóngxìngliànzhě) — gay woman
• Chinese Mandarin: 女同志 (nǚtóngzhì) — gay woman
• Chinese Mandarin: 女同性戀 /女同性恋 (nǚtóngxìngliàn) — gay woman
• Chinese Mandarin: 女同 (nǚtóng) — gay woman
• Chinese Mandarin: 拉拉 (lālā) — gay woman
• West Circassian: шыпхъу (šəpꭓwu) — gay woman
• Czech: lesbička — gay woman
• Danish: lesbisk — gay woman
• Dutch: lesbienne — gay woman
• Dutch: lesbo — gay woman
• Dutch: lesbi — gay woman
• Dutch: lesbienne — gay woman
• Esperanto: samseksemulino — gay woman
• Esperanto: lesbo — gay woman
• Esperanto: lesbanino — gay woman
• Estonian: lesbi — gay woman
• Faroese: lesbisk — gay woman
• Finnish: lesbo — gay woman
• Franc-Comtois: froyèche — gay woman
• French: lesbienne — gay woman
• French: gouine — gay woman
• Galician: lesbiana — gay woman
• Georgian: ლესბიელი (lesbieli) — gay woman
• Georgian: ლესბოსელი (lesboseli) — gay woman
• German: Lesbe — gay woman
• German: Lesbierin — gay woman
• German: Homosexuelle — gay woman
• Greek: λεσβία (lesvía) — gay woman
• Ancient Greek: τριβάς (tribás) — gay woman
• Greenlandic: arnaqatiminoortartoq — gay woman
• Greenlandic: arnaqatiminik atoqateqartartoq — gay woman
• Haitian Creole: lesbyèn — gay woman
• Hebrew: לֶסבִּית (lesbit) — gay woman
• Hindi: लेस्बियन (lesbiyan) — gay woman
• Hungarian: leszbia — gay woman
• Hungarian: leszbikus — gay woman
• Hungarian: leszboszi — gay woman
• Icelandic: lesbía — gay woman
• Ido: lesbiano — gay woman
• Interlingua: lesbiana — gay woman
• Irish: leispiach — gay woman
• Italian: lesbica — gay woman
• Japanese: レズ (rezu) — gay woman
• Japanese: レズビアン (rezubian) — gay woman
• Japanese: 女性同性愛者 (josei dōsei'aisha) — gay woman
• Kazakh: лесбиянка (lesbiänka) — gay woman
• Kazakh: лесбиян (lesbiän) — gay woman
• Khmer: ស្ដ្រីដែលប្រតិព័ទ្ធស្ដ្រីដូចគ្នា (strəy dael prɑte’pʊən strəy dooc knie) — gay woman
• Khmer: ស្ត្រីស្រឡាញ់ស្ត្រីដូចគ្នា (strəy srɑlaɲ strəy dooc knie) — gay woman
• Khmer: ឡេសស្បៀន (leehsbiən) — gay woman
• Khmer: លេសបៀន (leihbiən) — gay woman
• Korean: 레즈비언 (rejeubieon) — gay woman
• Korean: 여성동성애자 (yeoseongdongseong'aeja) — gay woman
• Kyrgyz: лесбиянка (lesbiyanka) — gay woman
• Kyrgyz: лесбиян (lesbiyan) — gay woman
• Lao: ຜູ້ຍິງຮັກຜູ້ຍິງ (phū nying hak phū nying) — gay woman
• Latin: tribas — gay woman
• Latvian: lesbiete — gay woman
• Lithuanian: lesbietė — gay woman
• Luxembourgish: Lesb — gay woman
• Macedonian: ле́збејка (lézbejka) — gay woman
• Maltese: lesbjan — gay woman
• Marathi: लेस्बियन (lesbiyan) — gay woman
• Mongolian: лесбиян (lesbijan) — gay woman
• Norman: lesbienne — gay woman
• Norwegian Bokmål: lesbe — gay woman
• Norwegian Nynorsk: lesbe — gay woman
• Persian: لزبین (lezbiyan) — gay woman
• Polish: lesbijka — gay woman
• Portuguese: lésbica — gay woman
• Portuguese: sapatão — gay woman
• Romanian: lesbiană — gay woman
• Romanian: lesbi — gay woman
• Russian: лесбия́нка (lesbijánka) — gay woman
• Russian: ле́сби (lésbi) — gay woman
• Russian: лесба (lesba) — gay woman
• Inari-Sami: lesbo — gay woman
• Northern Sami: lesba — gay woman
• Skolt-Sami: lesbo — gay woman
• Scottish Gaelic: leasbach — gay woman
• Serbo-Croatian: лезбејка — gay woman
• Serbo-Croatian: лезбийка — gay woman
• Serbo-Croatian: lezbejka — gay woman
• Serbo-Croatian: lezbijka — gay woman
• Slovak: lesbička — gay woman
• Slovak: lesba — gay woman
• Slovene: lezbijka — gay woman
• Spanish: lesbiana — gay woman
• Spanish: leñadora — gay woman
• Spanish: bollera — gay woman
• Swahili: shoga — gay woman
• Swedish: flata — gay woman
• Swedish: lesbisk — gay woman
• Tagalog: tomboy — gay woman
• Tagalog: tibo — gay woman
• Tagalog: lesbya — gay woman
• Tagalog: lesbiyana — gay woman
• Tamil: லெஸ்பியன் (lespiyaṉ) — gay woman
• Tamil: லெசுபியன் (lecupiyaṉ) — gay woman
• Tamil: மகிழினி (makiḻiṉi) — gay woman
• Tamil: மாயிழை (māyiḻai) — gay woman
• Tamil: அகனள் (akaṉaḷ) — gay woman
• Thai: หญิงรักร่วมเพศ (yǐng-rák-rûuam-pêet) — gay woman
• Thai: เลสเบียน (léet-bîian) — gay woman
• Turkish: lezbiyen — gay woman
• Turkish: sevici — gay woman
• Turkish: ablacı — gay woman
• Turkmen: lezbiýanka — gay woman
• Turkmen: lezbiýan — gay woman
• Ukrainian: лесбі́йка (lesbíjka) — gay woman
• Ukrainian: лесбія́нка (lesbijánka) — gay woman
• Urdu: لسبین (lesbiyan) — gay woman
• Uzbek: lesbianka — gay woman
• Vietnamese: người đồng tính nữ — gay woman
• Welsh: lesbiad — gay woman
• Yiddish: לעזביאַנקע (lezbyanke) — gay woman
• Yoruba: onífẹ̀ẹ́-obìnrin-sóbìnrin — gay woman
• Finnish: lesbolainen — native or inhabitant of the island of Lesbos
• Finnish: lesboslainen — native or inhabitant of the island of Lesbos
• French: Lesbien — native or inhabitant of the island of Lesbos
• French: Lesbienne — native or inhabitant of the island of Lesbos
• German: Lesviot — native or inhabitant of the island of Lesbos
• German: Lesviotin — native or inhabitant of the island of Lesbos
• German: Lesvonier — native or inhabitant of the island of Lesbos
• German: Lesvonierin — native or inhabitant of the island of Lesbos
• German: Lesbier — native or inhabitant of the island of Lesbos
• German: Lesbierin — native or inhabitant of the island of Lesbos
• Greek: Λέσβιος (Lésvios) — native or inhabitant of the island of Lesbos
• Greek: Μυτιληναίος (Mytilinaíos) — native or inhabitant of the island of Lesbos
• Greek: Μυτιληναία (Mytilinaía) — native or inhabitant of the island of Lesbos
• Greek: Μυτιληνιός (Mytiliniós) — native or inhabitant of the island of Lesbos
• Greek: Μυτιληνιά (Mytiliniá) — native or inhabitant of the island of Lesbos
• Marathi: लेस्बियन (lesbiyan) — native or inhabitant of the island of Lesbos