Meanings
- BritishdatedslanguncountableA prostitute, especially a low-class, on-street prostitute.
She looked like Haymarket ware. A veritable trollop. Good God, she had chosen something Mrs. Daphne Coleraine might wear!
2004, Blair Bancroft, The Harem Bride4 more examples
You take the advice of a man who’s older than you, my boy, and has seen more of the world than you ever will! If she ain't Haymarket ware, hedge off!
1956, Georgette Heyer, Sprig MuslinWho was she, then, this girl? Or rather, what was she? An actress? A piece of Haymarket ware paid to alter her profession temporarily? If so, she was a most delectable item of merchandise.
1985, Rosina Pyatt, To Catch an Earl"Women!" Christopher fumed. "They are nothing but vain parasites, every one of them after attention, wealth, or a title, or all three, and the worst of their sex are those in the ton. Give me honest Haymarket-ware anytime. At least with them you know what you are getting into. They only exact payment for services rendered, not for a lifetime[…]"
1995, Evelyn Richardson, Lady Alex's GambleMelody's velvet gray eyes were transformed instantly into boiling little infernos of fury. "How dare you, sir! Do you think me Haymarket ware?"
2011, Anne Barbour, EscapadesSynonyms: prostitute
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA prostitute, especially a low-class, on-street prostitute.
Origin
A reference to the prostitution that was common in Haymarket area of London in the United Kingdom in the early 19th century.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Haymarket ware. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Haymarket%20ware
“Haymarket ware.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Haymarket%20ware. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Haymarket ware,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Haymarket%20ware.
Source: Haymarket ware on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.