a young, immature woman, especially formerly, an unmarried one.
a daughter: My wife and I have two girls.
Informal: Sometimes Offensive. a grown woman, especially when referred to familiarly: She's having the girls over for bridge next week.
a girlfriend; sweetheart.
Older Use: Usually Offensive. a female servant, as a maid.
Older Use: Usually Offensive. a female employee, especially an office assistant.
a female who is from or native to a given place: She's a Missouri girl.
girls, (used with a singular or plural verb)
a range of sizes from 7 to 14, for garments made for girls.
a garment in this size range.
the department or section of a store where these garments are sold.
girls,Slang. one's breasts (usually preceded by the, my, etc., and primarily used self-referentially by women).
Origin of girl
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English gurle, girle, gerle “child, young person”; compare Old English gyrela, gi(e)rela “item of dress, apparel” (presumably worn by the young in the late Old English period, and hence used as a metonym)
usage note for girl
Some adult women are offended if referred to as a girl, or informally, a gal. However, a group of adult female friends often refer to themselves as the girls, and their “girls night out” implies the company of adult females. Also, a woman may express camaraderie by addressing another woman as girl, as in You go, girl! or Attagirl! Referring to one's female office assistant or housekeeper as the girl or my girl, once in common use, is now considered unacceptable. Working girl, meaning “a woman who works,” girl/gal Friday, meaning “a female office assistant,” and other occupational terms such as career girl and college girl, are also dated and often perceived as insulting. Working girl as a slang term meaning “a prostitute” is sometimes used by female prostitutes as a euphemistic self-reference. See also lady, woman.
Another cheer parent, April Grant, told VOSD she also found the reasoning they cut Ingalls’ daughter suspect, because several other girls caught vaping in recent years made the team.
School Sports Became ‘Clubs’ Amid the Pandemic – Now Two Coaches Are Out|Ashly McGlone|September 17, 2020|Voice of San Diego
If you find a girl who is interested in calculus, you don’t squash that.
When a Calculus Class Abruptly Became Ceramics at Lincoln High|Scott Lewis|September 16, 2020|Voice of San Diego
She’s the girl next door that millennials grew up with, from her debut on Saved by the Bell and as a cheerleader on Bring It On.
Get Gabrielle Union’s Best Career Advice|Joshua Eferighe|September 16, 2020|Ozy
Data from the CRISPR’d baby girls, for example, showed that the experiment littered their genomes with off-target edits at the embryo stage.
A CRISPR Baby Future? New Report Outlines Path to Human Germline Editing|Shelly Fan|September 15, 2020|Singularity Hub
The good news is that the Malala Fund and its partners are working to mitigate some of the current challenges to girls’ learning.
Malala Yousafzai puts the remote learning struggle in perspective|Michal Lev-Ram, writer|September 15, 2020|Fortune
The brother of a girl who made her debut in New Orleans society was shaking his fists in excitement.
The Louisiana Racists Who Courted Steve Scalise|Jason Berry|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Once upon a time, a girl named Onika Maraj dreamed of being an actress.
Nicki Minaj: High School Actress|Alex Chancey, The Daily Beast Video|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But religious tolerance would be a wholesome goodie for every boy and girl.
Santa Fails One More Time|P. J. O’Rourke|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They made quiet plans together, saying that when they had a child together, they wanted a girl called Grace.
A Sunni-Shia Love Story Imperiled by al Qaeda|Ruth Michaelson|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
During his early attempts to become a director, he met Alma Reville, an English girl just one day younger than himself.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"But it is terrible to have the air so full of noise," continued the girl, as she made a little face at her brother.
Walter and the Wireless|Sara Ware Bassett
She is married now and lives at Ashland, and has two nice children, a boy and a girl.
How To Do It|Edward Everett Hale
The girl slipped away from him, reached the staircase that led to the lower floor, and bounded down.
The Pocket Bible or Christian the Printer|Eugne Sue
He began to covet this girl mightily, even while he told himself that he was a fool for his pains.
Mavericks|William MacLeod Raine
"There be scores of inns near the river," said the captain to the girl.
Captain Ravenshaw|Robert Neilson Stephens
British Dictionary definitions for girl
girl
/ (ɡɜːl) /
noun
a female child from birth to young womanhood
a young unmarried woman; lass; maid
informala sweetheart or girlfriend
informala woman of any age
an informal word for daughter
a female employee, esp a female servant
Southern Africanderogatorya Black female servant of any age
the girls(usually plural)informala group of women, esp acquaintances
Word Origin for girl
C13: of uncertain origin; perhaps related to Low German Göre boy, girl
usage for girl
The use of girl as in meaning 4, to refer to a woman of any age, is highly likely to be considered old-fashioned or to cause offence