demimonde

Meanings

1. A class of women maintained by wealthy protectors; female courtesans or prostitutes as a group.
2. A group having little respect or reputation.
3. A member of such a class or group of persons.

Etymology

Borrowed from French demi-monde (literally “half-world”), from demi (“half”) + monde (“world; people”); possibly coined by French author and playwright Alexandre Dumas fils as the title of a comedic play, Le Demi Monde (1855): see the quotation from 1864.