Definitions

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

  • interjection Used to express sorrow, regret, or alarm.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • An exclamation expressive of sorrow.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • interjection Archaic. or Poet. An exclamation expressive of sorrow.

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

  • interjection An expression of sorrow or mourning.

Etymologies

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

[On the model of alas; see lack.]

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Examples

Comments

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  • Often seen hanging around alas.

    December 12, 2007

  • Ihave alack ofspaces betweenwords.

    December 13, 2007

  • Alas, you do, indeed.

    December 13, 2007

  • The shepherd cried out, "Alas and alack!
    I'm lonely and taken aback.
    I'm tending these sheep
    Without a Bo Peep.
    The pay is okay but a lass is a lack."

    January 15, 2015