prostitute

From Latin prōstitutus, past participle of prōstituō, from pro- (“for, before”) +‎ statuō (“to set up, to erect”).

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈpɹɒstɪtjuːt/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈpɹɑːstətuːt/

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prostitute (plural prostitutes)

1. A person, especially a woman, who has sexual intercourse or engages in other sexual activity for payment.
   • 2012, Kelly Olson, Dress and the Roman Woman: Self-Presentation and Society (page 50)

     Unfortunately, there is to my knowledge no visual evidence for the dress of the Roman prostitute, but the literary sources present us with a range of prostitute clothing (from rich accoutrements all the way down to nothing), […]

2. (derogatory) A person who engages in sexual activity with many people.
3. A person who does, or offers to do, an activity for money, despite personal dislike or dishonour.

• Some speakers consider prostitutes (sex workers) to be female by default, and thus use "male prostitute" to refer to a man doing the same job.

• (all senses): whore
• (person who performs sexual activity for payment): See also Thesaurus:prostitute
• (person perceived as engaging in sexual activity): See also Thesaurus:promiscuous woman, Thesaurus:promiscuous man
• (person who does an activity for money): sellout

prostitute (third-person singular simple present prostitutes, present participle prostituting, simple past and past participle prostituted)

1. (transitive, usually reflexively) To perform sexual activity for money.
2. (transitive) To make another person, or organisation, prostitute themselves.
   • Bible, Leviticus xix. 29

     Do not prostitute thy daughter.

3. (transitive, derogatory) To use one's talents in return for money or fame.
4. (figuratively) To exploit for base purposes; to whore.

   Yet again a commercial firm had prostituted a traditional song by setting an advertising jingle to its tune.

• prostitution

prostitute f

1. plural of prostituta

prōstitute

1. vocative masculine singular of prōstitutus