harlot

plural harlots

1. datedderogatoryoffensiveA female prostitute.

   This day (great Duke) ſhe ſhut the doores vpon me, / While she with Harlots feaſted in my housſe.

   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

   5 more examples

   The bastard of a harlot, born in a brothel, suckled on gin, and familiar from earliest infancy with all the bestialities of debauch,[…]

   1890, William Booth, chapter 6, in In Darkest England and the Way Out

   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.

   1908, William Blake, To the Accuser Who Is the God of This World

   He was stopped by a painted harlot, who put her hand on his arm; he pushed her violently away with brutal words.

   1915, W[illiam] Somerset Maugham, chapter LXXVII, in Of Human Bondage, New York, N.Y.: George H[enry] Doran Company, →OCLC

   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.

   1918, Robert Louis Stevenson, “Hail! Childish Slaves Of Social Rules”, in New Poems and Variant Readings, London: Chatto & Windus

   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.

   1980, Dave Murray, “Charlotte the Harlot”, in Iron Maiden, performed by Iron Maiden

   Synonyms: abandons, alley cat, almah, bangtail, Bankside lady, bargirl, bat, beotch

2. derogatoryoffensiveA female who is considered promiscuous.

   Synonyms: skeezer, slut, whore, hussy, NB: All terms are usually pejorative unless stated otherwise., 304, alley cat, alleycat

3. obsoleteA churl; a common man; a person, male or female, of low birth, especially one given to low conduct.

   By suche ydle and wicked harlottes the enheritaunce of Christe is troden vnder fote.

   1544, R. Tracy, Supplycacion to Kynge Henry VIII

   2 more examples

   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;

   a. 1653, “Joseph Tempted to Adultery”, in Zion's Flowers, published 1855, page 103

   [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.

   1659, Daniel Pell, Pelagos […] Or, An improvement of the sea […] , page 37

   Synonyms: rake, hussy, antimodel, bad guy, baddie, bastard, beggar, blackguard

present singular third person harlots · participle present harloting · participle present harlotting · participle past harloted · past harloted · participle past harlotted · past harlotted

1. intransitiveTo play the harlot; to practice lewdness.

   […] they that spend their youth in loitering, bezzling, and harlotting, their studies in unprofitable questions, and barbarous sophistry

   1614, John Milton, Animadversions upon the Remonstrants Defense against Smectymnuus

   Synonyms: harlotize, blissom, chamber, colt, gill, harlotize, minx, rake

comparative more harlot · superlative most harlot

1. uncommonWanton; lewd; low; base.

   The intellection in it, kiddo—the intellection.... That most harlot of harlots... talking of me, laughing at me... I'll kill her....

   1943, Nick Joaquin, “It was Later than we Thought”, in Philippine Review

   Synonyms: adult, bawdy, blue, cheeky, dirty, indecent, filthy, gross