lady of pleasure
- noun
- NSFW
:
cortesana
- He was warned that he should not associate with any ladies of pleasure in the city.
Examples
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In Victorian novels, a lady of pleasure was often depicted as a tragic figure.
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The old inn was rumored to have once been frequented by ladies of pleasure.
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The lady of pleasure smiled at the gentleman.
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Many stories feature a lady of pleasure as a main character.
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During the Roman Empire, a lady of pleasure often entertained wealthy clients at lavish banquets.
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In the novel, the protagonist encounters a lady of pleasure who shares her experiences of life in the city.
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The play depicted a lady of pleasure who sought freedom from her life of servitude to men.
Synonyms
478
9.3
An offensive word for a person who has sex for money
342
4.2
A person who has sex with other people for money
314
9.0
A person who sells sex for money, often on the street
30
9.9
A woman who sells sex for money
25
9.9
A woman who sells sex, often used as an insult
13
9.9
A woman who has sex with rich or powerful men for money, often in high society in the past
8
8.6
A woman who sells sex for money
2
8.6
A woman who sells sex for money
1
9.2
A woman who sells sex for money
1
9.9
A woman who has sex with people for money
1
8.9
A woman who offers sex for money by standing in the street
1
9.9
A woman who has sex for money, used in older books
A woman who worked as an entertainer or prostitute in ancient Rome
A woman who has sex with people for money
A woman who has sex for money and often lives in high society
A woman who has sex for money or who lives on the streets
Surface Forms
Morphology
lady + of + pleasure
Knowing 'lady' and 'pleasure' will suggest a woman associated with pleasure, so learners may infer a sexual association, but the fixed occupational sense 'prostitute' and the archaic/literary phrasing are not fully predictable from the parts alone. The expression is partly compositional (woman + pleasure) but idiomatic in register and specific meaning, so it is only partially transparent to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Lady of pleasure is an old polite phrase used instead of a rude word for a woman who worked as a 'prostitute'. People joined lady (a polite word for a woman) with pleasure (enjoyment) to soften the idea, and that image of a woman tied to 'pleasure' is why the phrase means a woman who sold sexual services.