/gɜ:l; ˇɝl/
n
1 [C]
(a) female child 女孩; 姑娘
*a baby girl 女婴
* a little girl of six (years old) 六岁女童
* Good morning, girls and boys! 孩子们, 早上好!
(b) daughter 女儿
*Their eldest girl's getting married. 他们的长女就要结婚了.
2 [C]
(a) young, usu unmarried, woman 年轻女子（通常指未婚者）
*a girl in her teens or early twenties 十几岁或二十岁出头的姑娘
* He was eighteen before he started going out with girls. 他十八岁才开始交女朋友.
(b) woman of the specified type 某种类型的女人
*She's the new girl in the office, so give her any help she needs. 她是办公室的新人, 她有什么需要就多帮帮忙.
* the old girl who owns the sweet shop 这家糖果店的女掌柜
* I'm a career girl, ie I concentrate on my career rather than getting married, etc. 我是事业心强的女人（注重事业而不思结婚等）.
3 [C] (usu in compounds 通常用以构成复合词) female worker 女工作人员
*an office-girl, a shop-girl, a telephone-girl, etc.
4 (man's) girl-friend （男子的）女朋友
*taking his girl home to meet his parents 带女朋友回家见父母.
5 girls [pl] (infml often joc 口, 常作戏谑语) (used for addressing a group of women of any age, by market-salesman, popular entertainers, etc 市场推销员、受欢迎的演员等用以称呼任何年龄的妇女).
6 the girls [pl] female friends of any age （任何年龄的）女性朋友
*a night out with the girls 与女朋友外出的夜晚.

n[C]

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1【child】
2【daughter】
3【woman】
4 the girls
5【animal】
6 girl
7 (you) go, girl!
8【girlfriend】
9 my girl
10 factory girl/shop girl/office girl
11【servant】

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[Date: 1500-1600; Origin: gurle, girle 'child, young person' (13-15 centuries), of unknown origin]
【CHILD】
a female child
→boy
　Both boys and girls can apply to join the choir.
little/small/young girl
　I've known Mollie ever since I was a little girl.
five-year-old girl/girl of ten etc
　The patient was a girl of twelve.
　Girls! Please be quiet.
　a teenage girl
【DAUGHTER】
a daughter
→boy
　They have two girls and a boy.
sb's little girl
　How old's your little girl (=somebody's young daughter) now?
　Time for bed, girls!
【WOMAN】
a word meaning a woman, especially a young woman, which is considered offensive by some women
　I'll invite some of the girls from the office.
　Steve's married to a lovely Dutch girl.
the girlsinformal
a group of women who are friends and often go out together
　I'm going out with the girls tonight.
【ANIMAL】
used when speaking to a female animal, especially a dog, cat, or horse
→boy
　Bring me the stick. Good girl!
girl
AmE spoken informal used by a woman when she is speaking to another woman she knows well
　Hey, girl. What's up?
(you) go, girl!
AmE spoken informal used to encourage a girl or woman, or to say that you agree with what she is saying
【GIRLFRIEND】
old-fashioned a word for a woman who you are having a romantic relationship with
= girlfriend
my girl
old-fashioned used by an older person when speaking to a girl or woman who is younger than they are, or when they are annoyed
　Just listen to me, my girl!
factory girl/shop girl/office girl
old-fashioned a young woman who works in a factory, shop, office etc
【SERVANT】
old-fashioned a woman servant
→old girl