English Explanatory Dictionary

prostitute

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Debased, corrupt; seeking personal gain by dishonourable means.
  2. Taking part in promiscuous sexual activity, licentious; (later, chiefly as attributive use of noun) that is a prostitute.
  3. Exposed, subjected (to something shameful).
noun
  1. Any person (especially a woman) who has sexual intercourse or engages in other sexual activity for payment, especially as a means of livelihood.
  2. A woman who has sexual intercourse or engages in other sexual activity for payment, especially as a means of livelihood.
  3. A person who does, or offers to do, a demeaning or dishonourable activity for money or personal gain; someone who acts in a dishonourable way for personal advantage.
verb
  1. To offer (oneself or someone else) for sexual activity in exchange for money.
  2. To sacrifice (oneself, one's talents etc.) in return for profit or other advantage; to exploit for base purposes.

Pronunciation

/ˈpɹɒstɪˌtjuːt/ [ˈpɹɒstɪtʰjuːt] /ˈpɹɒstɪˌt͡ʃuːt/ [ˈpɹɒstɪˌt͡ʃuːt] /ˈpɹɑstɪˌtu(ː)t/ [ˈpɹɑstɪˌtʰu(ː)t] /ˈpɹɑstəˌtu(ː)t/ en-us-prostitute.ogg

Word forms

prostitute more prostitute most prostitute prostitutes prostituting prostituted

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? Proto-Indo-European *pér Proto-Indo-European *-o Proto-Indo-European *pró Proto-Indo-European *pro- Proto-Italic *pro- Latin prō- Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- Proto-Italic *status Proto-Italic *statuō Latin statuō Latin prōstituō Latin prōstitūtusder. English prostitute From Latin prōstitūtus, past participle of prōstituō, from prō̆ (“for, before”) + statuō (“to set up, to erect”).

Synonyms

abandons alley cat almah bangtail Bankside lady bargirl bat beotch blouze blowen blowsabella brass nail brasser brass broad business girl calico queen callet cat chippy chromo coaster cockatrice cocotte comfort girl comfort woman commoner Covent Garden nun creature of the night croshabell daughter of joy dollymop doxy drab Dutch widow escort fille de joie flap floozie fornicatrix frail sister Fulham virgin gamester gay lady geebag gillian gill girl rented overnight good-time girl GRO hackney harlot Haymarket ware hireling 'ho hoer hoe hook hooker hustler

Antonyms

convertite Magdalene Magdalen nonprostitute

Related words

unorthodox entrepreneur abandoned habits balum rancum calling card call fuckie suckie fuckie-suckie half and half incall john school kerb crawling Magdalene asylum Magdalene laundry Murphy game oldest profession outcall sex tourism spinning house tart card whoremongery yellow ticket on the game abbess Covent Garden abbess lady abbess madam pimp apple-squire applesquire pander panderer ponce procurer prostitute oneself pimp out promiscuous woman promiscuous man prostitute's client vamp prostitution

Derived words

antiprostitute biostitute intellectual prostitute lacrosstitute nonprostitute presstitute proselytute prostibot prostitot Rastitute sorostitute temple prostitute prostitutable prostitutor unprostituted
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