Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A native or inhabitant of Lesbos.
  • noun The ancient Greek dialect of Lesbos.
  • adjective Of or relating to Lesbos.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A native or inhabitant of Lesbos.
  • noun Alternative capitalization of lesbian: a homosexual woman.
  • adjective Of or pertaining to the island of Lesbos.
  • adjective Alternative capitalization of lesbian: (of women) homosexual.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From Latin Lesbius, from Greek Lesbios, from Lesbos.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin Lesbius ("Lesbian") + adjective suffix -an, from Latin adjective suffix -anus, -ana. The sense of ‘homosexual’ is a reference to Sappho, a famous inhabitant of Lesbos and homosexual poet.

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Examples

  • The changes were made in consultation with Facebook's Network of Support, a group that includes LGBT lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender organizations such as the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, and the Human Rights Campaign.

    Facebook Adds 'Civil Union,' 'Domestic Partnership' To Relationship Status Options The Huffington Post 2011

  • The changes were made in consultation with Facebook's Network of Support, a group that includes LGBT lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender organizations such as the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, and the Human Rights Campaign.

    Facebook Adds 'Civil Union,' 'Domestic Partnership' To Relationship Status Options Bianca Bosker 2011

  • The changes were made in consultation with Facebook's Network of Support, a group that includes LGBT lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender organizations such as the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, and the Human Rights Campaign.

    Facebook Adds 'Civil Union,' 'Domestic Partnership' To Relationship Status Options The Huffington Post 2011

  • The changes were made in consultation with Facebook's Network of Support, a group that includes LGBT lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender organizations such as the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, and the Human Rights Campaign.

    Facebook Adds 'Civil Union,''Domestic Partnership' To Relationship Status Options The Huffington Post 2011

  • The changes were made in consultation with Facebook's Network of Support, a group that includes LGBT lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender organizations such as the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, and the Human Rights Campaign.

    Facebook Adds 'Civil Union,''Domestic Partnership' To Relationship Status Options The Huffington Post 2011

  • A complete irrelevant aside, The historic use of the term Lesbian for the inhabitants of Lesbos resulted in one of those great college memories froma discussion about Thucydides Peloponesian War Book 3 Ch 9 in an ancient history class.

    The Volokh Conspiracy » Lesbos: 2007

  • Little could she have known that Barack Obama has ushered in Lesbian Newsie Mime Chic.

    Rah! Rah! Replica! | ATTACKERMAN 2009

  • "Getting ready to head off to the Turin Lesbian & Gay Film Festival in a few weeks where I will be presenting a bunch of film prints from my archive," writes Jenni Olson.

    GreenCine Daily: Fests and events, 3/30. 2007

  • Last book I bought: This is where I should put "The Collected Poems of Mary Oliver" But instead my refreshing honesty is forcing me to admit that I got a two for one off Amazon and bought "Outwitting Writer's Block" by Jenna Glatzer and "Up All Night: Adventures in Lesbian Sex" by Various.

    I was just considering Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett missmurchison 2005

  • I identify as a Lesbian, but I have had intense attractions to some of my close male friends in my past.

    AfterEllen.com - Because visibility matters 2009

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