noun. A woman who is not a cleric.

noun. A woman who is a nonprofessional in a given field.

noun. A woman who is a layperson, one who has not taken a religious oath (such as becoming a nun).

noun. by analogy, a woman who is not a professional in a given field

"It’s really interesting — it presents the latest biology research papers in terms a laywoman can understand I’m no scientist, and I can follow it."