prostitute

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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

• Audio (US)

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Noun

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.

Verb

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.

Noun

prostitute f

1. plural of prostituta

Participle

prōstitute

1. vocative masculine singular of prōstitutus