harlot
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈhɑːlət/
ipa: /ˈhɑɹlət/
Forms: form: harlots
Etymology: From Middle English harlot, from Old French harlot, herlot, arlot (“vagabond; tramp”), of obscure origin. Likely to be ultimately of Germanic origin, either from a derivation of *harjaz (“army; camp; warrior; military leader”) or from a diminutive of *karilaz (“man; fellow”). Compare English carlot.
Senses: examples: text: This day (great Duke) ſhe ſhut the doores vpon me, / While she with Harlots feaſted in my housſe.
ref: c. 1594 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Comedie of Errors”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i], page 98, lines 204-205:
text: The bastard of a harlot, born in a brothel, suckled on gin, and familiar from earliest infancy with all the bestialities of debauch,[…]
ref: 1890, William Booth, chapter 6, in In Darkest England and the Way Out:
text: Truly, My Satan, thou art but a Dunce, / And dost not know the Garment from the Man. / Every Harlot was a Virgin once, / Nor canst thou ever change Kate into Nan.
ref: 1908, William Blake, To the Accuser Who Is the God of This World:
text: He was stopped by a painted harlot, who put her hand on his arm; he pushed her violently away with brutal words.
ref: 1915, W[illiam] Somerset Maugham, chapter LXXVII, in Of Human Bondage, New York, N.Y.: George H[enry] Doran Company, →OCLC:
text: O fine religious, decent folk, / In Virtue’s flaunting gold and scarlet, / I sneer between two puffs of smoke,— / Give me the publican and harlot.
ref: 1918, Robert Louis Stevenson, “Hail! Childish Slaves Of Social Rules”, in New Poems and Variant Readings, London: Chatto & Windus:
text: Charlotte the Harlot show me your legs, / Charlotte the Harlot take me to bed. / Charlotte the Harlot let me see blood, / Charlotte the Harlot let me see love.
ref: 1980, Dave Murray, “Charlotte the Harlot”, in Iron Maiden, performed by Iron Maiden:
synonyms: word: abandons
word: alley cat
word: almah
word: bangtail
word: Bankside lady
word: bargirl
word: bat
word: beotch
word: blouze
word: blowen
word: blowsabella
word: brass nail
word: brasser
word: brass
word: broad
word: business girl
word: calico queen
word: callet
word: cat
word: chippy
word: chromo
word: coaster
word: cockatrice
word: cocotte
word: comfort girl
word: comfort woman
word: commoner
word: Covent Garden nun
word: creature of the night
word: croshabell
word: daughter of joy
word: dollymop
word: doxy
word: drab
word: Dutch widow
word: escort
word: fille de joie
word: flap
word: floozie
word: fornicatrix
word: frail sister
word: Fulham virgin
word: gamester
word: gay lady
word: geebag
word: gillian
word: gill
word: girl rented overnight
word: good-time girl
word: GRO
word: hackney
word: harlot
word: Haymarket ware
word: hireling
word: 'ho
word: hoer
word: hoe
word: hook
word: hooker
word: hustler
word: Japayuki-san
word: jay
word: karayuki-san
word: KTV girl
word: laced mutton
word: lady of leisure
word: lady of light virtue
word: lady of pleasure
word: lady of the evening
word: lady of the night
word: lightskirt
word: loose woman
word: lot lizard
word: meat puppet
word: meretrix
word: mermaid
word: minx
word: mob
word: moll
word: mort wap-apace
word: mot
word: mud kicker
word: mud-kicker
word: mudkicker
word: musk cat
word: mutton
word: nun
word: nymph of darkness
word: nymph of the pavé
word: nymph of the pavement
word: painted lady
word: Paphian
word: party girl
word: pavement princess
word: perdita
word: pimpette
word: pretty horsebreaker
word: priestess of Venus
word: pro skirt
word: prossie
word: prossy
word: pross
word: prostie
word: prostitute
word: prostitutor
word: prosty
word: prozzie
word: prozzy
word: pro
word: public woman
word: pucelle
word: puella publica
word: pug
word: punk
word: pussygirl
word: puta
word: put
word: quail
word: quean
word: quene
word: quiff
word: ribibe
word: scrubber
word: sex labourer
word: sex worker
word: skainsmate
word: skivvy
word: slag
word: slapper
word: slit
word: slut
word: sodomitess
word: soiled dove
word: stem siren
word: stew
word: street taco
word: strumpet
word: succubus
word: Suzi Wong
word: Suzie Wong
word: Suzy Wong
word: tart
word: tawaif
word: thotty
word: thot
word: tib
word: tom
word: treddle
word: trick turner
word: trollop
word: trug
word: trull
word: tweak
word: vice girl
word: wanton
word: wapping dell
word: wapping moll
word: wapping mort
word: wench
word: whore
word: woman of easy virtue
word: woman of ill fame
word: woman of ill repute
word: woman of the night
word: woman of the street
word: woman of the town
word: working girl
glosses: A female prostitute.
synonyms: word: skeezer
word: slut
word: whore
word: hussy
word: NB: All terms are usually pejorative unless stated otherwise.
word: 304
word: alley cat
word: alleycat
word: amorette
word: amoret
word: amorosa
word: article
word: Athanasian wench
word: blowsabella
word: bop
word: chippy
word: cocotte
word: cockslut
word: cockwhore
word: crumpet
word: cum dumpster
word: cum guzzler
word: cumhole
word: cumslut
word: cumwhore
word: Cyprian
word: demimondaine
word: doxy
word: drab
word: eager beaver
word: Essex girl
word: flirt-gill
word: floogy
word: floosie
word: floosy
word: floozie
word: floozy
word: fornicator
word: fornicatour
word: fornicatress
word: fornicatrix
word: fuckstress
word: Fulham virgin
word: geebag
word: giglot
word: gillian
word: gill
word: good-time girl
word: grim
word: grisette
word: harlot
word: ho bag
word: ho-bag
word: hoe bag
word: hoe-bag
word: hoe
word: hoochie mama
word: hoochie
word: hood rat
word: ho
word: hussy
word: jade
word: jay
word: jillflirt
word: lady of light virtue
word: LBFM
word: light-o'-love
word: light-of-love
word: lightskirt
word: little brown fucking machine
word: loose woman
word: lorette
word: mab
word: manizer
word: minx
word: moll
word: mort wap-apace
word: nymphomaniac
word: painted Jezebel
word: puta
word: puzzel
word: quean
word: Quicumque vult
word: quiff
word: rig
word: scag
word: scrubber
word: skank
word: skettle
word: sket
word: skit
word: slag
word: slapper
word: slattern
word: sloven
word: slutbag
word: slut
word: stale
word: streel
word: strumpet
word: sweet cheeks
word: tartlet
word: tart
word: thotty
word: thot
word: town bicycle
word: town bike
word: tramp
word: treddle
word: trollop
word: trull
word: village bicycle
word: village bike
word: wagon
word: waistcoateer
word: wanton
word: wench
word: whore
glosses: A female who is considered promiscuous.
examples: text: By suche ydle and wicked harlottes the enheritaunce of Christe is troden vnder fote.
ref: 1544, R. Tracy, Supplycacion to Kynge Henry VIII:
text: When lust doth rage it like a canker frets;
It topsie turvie, upside downe all sets;[…]
Where once it reigneth, there it maketh sure,
A man a harlot, and a wife a whoore;
ref: a. 1653, “Joseph Tempted to Adultery”, in Zion's Flowers, published 1855, page 103:
text: [Take into your service] none but such as deny all ungod∣liness, and worldly lusts, and live soberly, chastely, and moderately in the Seas, and whose speech is not stinking, and unclean, as most Sea-mens are. What should you do with such Harlots in your service? which calls for holiness, and better principled men.
ref: 1659, Daniel Pell, Pelagos […] Or, An improvement of the sea […] , page 37:
synonyms: word: rake
word: hussy
word: antimodel
word: bad guy
word: baddie
word: bastard
word: blackguard
word: bounder
word: cad
word: coistril
word: evildoer
word: fustilarian
word: harlot
word: heavy
word: knave
word: lidderon
word: makeshift
word: miscreant
word: ne'er-do-well
word: niding
word: nithing
word: rapscallion
word: rascal
word: rogue
word: scab
word: scamp
word: scapegrace
word: scoundrel
word: scum
word: scumbag
word: thug
word: undesirable
word: varlet
word: villain
glosses: A churl; a common man; a person, male or female, of low birth, especially one given to low conduct.
Derived terms: hap-harlot
harlotize
harlotry