harlot:

1. A woman displaying wanton behavior.

2. A prostitute . See prostitute for synonyms.

ETYMOLOGY: 1) Anglicisation of Arlette, the beautiful daughter of Falbert, a tanner of Falaise (France), who was washing her clothes outdoors, naked , when Robert Le Diable, Duke of Normandy, riding by, seduced her. From their encounter was born William the Conqueror, known to the world as The Bastard. 2) From the Old French herlot , a 13 ^th century word for a rogue or beggar. In later decades it expanded to include male buffoons and clowns, then male jugglers and itinerants, and finally male servants. In the 1430s, the term started to include female jugglers, dancers, and actresses. By the 16 ^th century, a harlot was a female prostitute and all the previous meanings were now obsolete.

See Also: bob-tail, bobtail, dolly-mop, harlot, harridan, hedge whore, hedge-creeper, Jack of all trades, nunnery

Link to this page:

Word Browser