courtesan:

1. In the 16 ^th century, a lady in a royal or noble court, especially one who was the kept mistress of one of the nobles; later a prostitute with a courtly, wealthy, or upper-class clientele. See also: mistress .

2. More recently, a high-class, well-paid, discriminating prostitute , especially one who associates with celebrities or men of wealth. See prostitute for synonyms.
Etymology: From the Old Italian cortigiano , meaning a courtier.

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