brothel

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈbɹɔθəl/, /ˈbɹɔðəl/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈbɹɒθəl/
• (cot–caught merger, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈbɹɑθəl/, /ˈbɹɑðəl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒθəl, -ɒðəl
• Hyphenation: broth‧el

Etymology 1

An abbreviation of brothel-house, ultimately from Old English ābrēoþan (“to degrade, deteriorate”); see below.

Etymology 2

From Middle English brothel, brodel, brodelle, brethel (“a wretch, a depraved man or woman”) (compare also Middle English bretheling (“a wretch”)), apparently from an unrecorded Old English *brēoþel (“degenerative, corruptive”), related to Old English ābrēoþan (“to unsettle, degrade, ruin, frustrate, degenerate, deteriorate, fall away”); Old English ābroþen (“degenerate, base, trifling”); both ultimately from Proto-Germanic *breuþaną (“to fall apart; crumble”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- (“to carve, cut, split, rub”).

Anagrams

• Holbert