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Glite Dictionary
exotic dancer

exotic dancer

9 7.4
A person who dances for people in a sexual way, often taking off clothes
  • noun
  • /ɪɡˈzɑtɪk ˈdænsər/
  • NSFW
translation icon : bailarina exótica
  • She started her career as an exotic dancer in a local club to support her family.

Examples

  • That was the day the exotic dancer came to town.

    Academic text (1997)

  • And you're an exotic dancer, not a stripper.

    I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell (2009)

  • Take some time 'cause really good exotic dancers can guide where your eyes go.

  • "She was an exotic dancer.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • I'm really an exotic dancer.

    Hope Floats (1998)

  • Oh, yeah, yeah, I'm, uh, I'm an exotic dancer.

    A Bad Moms Christmas (2017)

  • She was an exotic dancer.

    Pillow Talk (1959)

  • Then Paul Finch hired an exotic dancer instead of a real actor.

    American Wedding (2003)

  • Remember, it's strictly stag, so leave the wives at home; we'll be showing some films and, yes, gentlemen, there will be exotic dancers.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • He pushes through and sees Jelly and a few of the guys watching an exotic dancer, a beautiful young blonde in a skimpy costume, standing on a platform grinding in mock ecstasy.

    Fiction book (2002)

Synonyms

stripper
vsexotic dancer
  • NSFW
277 4.9

A performer who takes off clothes to give sexual entertainment

can describe erotic dancing that may be less focused on undressing
peeler
vsexotic dancer
  • NSFW
2 9.7

A person who entertains others by taking off their clothes

is the broader, neutral word for sensual entertainers not only slang
striptease artist
vsexotic dancer
  • Offensive
1 7.9

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

is broader, includes sensual dance that may not involve undressing
ecdysiast
vsexotic dancer
  • NSFW
1 9.9

A performer who slowly undresses to sexually excite an audience

is a wider idea, covering sensual performance beyond slow undressing
stripteaser
vsexotic dancer
  • Offensive
1 8.5

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

is more general, also covers other sensual stage dances without undressing

How Erotic

exotic dancer
  • NSFW
9 7.4
burlesque show
  • NSFW
2 8.1
cabaret
23 6.3

Surface Forms

exotic dancer singular
exotic dancers plural

Morphology

exotic + dancer

The literal combination suggests 'a dancer who is unusual or foreign', which is directly accessible from 'exotic' + 'dancer'. However, in English the phrase is a conventionalized euphemism for a sensual/erotic performer (stripper), and that sexualized sense is not fully predictable from the constituents. Therefore a B1 learner knowing the words might not infer the erotic meaning without prior exposure.

Etymology

Exotic dancer comes from the word exotic, meaning 'from far away' or strange, and dancer, meaning someone who dances. Early performers used costumes and moves from other countries to seem mysterious, so exotic dancer became a polite name for an 'erotic dancer' or 'stripper'.