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Glite Dictionary
ecdysiast

ecdysiast

1 9.9
A performer who slowly undresses to sexually excite an audience
  • noun
  • /ˈɛk.dɪ.zi.æst/
  • NSFW
translation icon : striptease
  • At the club, several talented ecdysiasts performed, captivating the crowd with their graceful movements.

Examples

  • During the show, the audience eagerly watched as the ecdysiast gradually revealed her costume to the rhythm of the music.

  • Some man accused me of being an ecdysiast.

    Gypsy (1993)

  • At these prices, I'm an ecdysiast.

    Gypsy (1993)

  • An ecdysiast... is one who... or that which... sheds its skin.

    Gypsy (1993)

  • Parody: 'The Case of the Ectoplasmic Ecdysiast'

    Blog text (30)

  • In THE CASE OF THE ECTOPLASMIC ECDYSIAST, allegedly by George and Ira Gershwin, we hearken back to the nostalgic years of pre-World War Two America, when men were men and women frequently noticed.

    Blog text (30)

  • She worked as an ecdysiast, delighting the audience with her mesmerizing striptease performances.

Synonyms

stripper
vsecdysiast
  • NSFW
277 4.9

A performer who takes off clothes to give sexual entertainment

is performed more slowly and as a staged tease rather than simple undressing
exotic dancer
vsecdysiast
  • NSFW
9 7.4

A person who dances for people in a sexual way, often taking off clothes

centers on slow undressing as the main act rather than dance
peeler
vsecdysiast
  • NSFW
2 9.7

A person who entertains others by taking off their clothes

highlights slow gradual undressing rather than general undressing
striptease artist
vsecdysiast
  • Offensive
1 7.9

A person who slowly takes off their clothes to entertain people in a sexual way

is the same concept but used as a more formal name
stripteaser
vsecdysiast
  • Offensive
1 8.5

A performer who slowly takes off clothes on stage to entertain adults

is similar but not limited to nightclub and theater settings

How Explicit

ecdysiast
  • NSFW
1 9.9
exotic dancer
  • NSFW
9 7.4

Surface Forms

ecdysiast singular
ecdysiasts plural

Morphology

ecdysiast = ecdysis (opaque) = ecdysis + ast

The relation to 'ecdysis' (a rare technical term) is not obvious to most learners, so the agentive formation yielding 'striptease performer' is not transparently derived for B1 users.

Etymology

The word ecdysiast comes from the Greek ecdysis, which means 'taking off' or 'shedding', like when a snake loses its old skin. So an ecdysiast is someone who slowly 'takes off' clothes as a public performance, and that old idea explains the modern meaning.