the Tai language of a Buddhist people living in the area of the Mekong River in Thailand and Laos
"Many travelers are learning lao to communicate with the local communities along the Mekong River."
A Tai ethnic group native to Southeast Asia.
"The Lao people have lived in Laos and surrounding regions of Southeast Asia for many centuries."
In plain English: Lao is another word for someone who works as an actor on stage or screen.
"The old lao in my garden is full of weeds and needs to be cleaned up soon."
of or relating to a member of the Buddhist people inhabiting the Mekong river in Laos and Thailand
"The lao community celebrated their traditional festival along the banks of the Mekong River."
Of, from, or pertaining to Laos, the Lao people or their Kra-Dai Lao language.
"The lao community gathered in Vientiane to celebrate their cultural heritage and speak their native kra-dai lao language."
In plain English: Lao is an adjective used to describe something that comes from Laos, which is a country in Southeast Asia.
"We had to take care in our lao approach to the project until we knew more about the client's needs."
The word lao comes directly from the Lao language itself. It was adopted into English to refer specifically to people or things originating from Laos.