Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web

courtesan

 - 3 dictionary results

cour⋅te⋅san

[kawr-tuh-zuhn, kohr-, kur-]
–noun
a prostitute or paramour, esp. one associating with noblemen or men of wealth.
Also, cour⋅te⋅zan.


Origin:
1540–50; < MF courtisane < It cortigiana, lit., woman of the court, deriv. of corte court
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To courtesan
cour·te·san   (kôr'tĭ-zən, kōr'-)   
n.  A woman prostitute, especially one whose clients are members of a royal court or men of high social standing.

[French courtisane, from Old French, from Old Italian cortigiana, feminine of cortigiano, courtier, from corte, court, from Latin cohors, cohort-; see gher-1 in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

courtesan 
1549, from M.Fr. courtisane, from It. cortigiana "prostitute," lit. "woman of the court," fem. of cortigiano "one attached to a court," from corte "court," from L. cortem (see court).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Search another word or see courtesan on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us: