different between ladies vs gentlemen

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?le?diz/

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.

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.

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

English

Alternative forms

• (lavatory): Gentlemen

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?d??n.t?l.m?n/, /?d??n.t?l.m?n/, /?d??n.t?l?m?n/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?d????.?l.m?n/, /?d????.?l?m?n/

Noun

gentlemen

1. plural of gentleman

Coordinate terms

• ladies
• sirs, sirrahs

Noun

gentlemen

1. Alternative form of gentlemen's: a men's room, a lavatory intended for use by men.
   • 1929, Henry Vincent Yorke as "Henry Green", Living, Ch. xviii, p. 213:

     "You go and leave them in the Gentlemen."
     "Leave 'em in the lavatory?"

   • 1941, Joyce Cary, Herself Surprised, Ch. xliv, p. 108:

     There are quays there and lamps and some squares of grass; a ladies and gentlemen, and a cinema.

Synonyms

• (lavatory): see Thesaurus:bathroom

Coordinate terms

• ladies

References

• "gentleman, n." in the Oxford English Dictionary (1898), Oxford: Oxford University Press.

French

Alternative forms

• gentlemans

Noun

gentlemen m

1. plural of gentleman