pimping
- petty; insignificant; trivial.
- British Dialect. puny; weak; sickly.
Origin of pimping
pimp
- a person, especially a man, who solicits customers for a prostitute or a brothel, usually in return for a share of the earnings; pander; procurer.
- a despicable person.
- Australia and New Zealand. an informer; stool pigeon.
- to act as a pimp.
- to act as a pimp for.
- to exploit.
Origin of pimp
Examples from the Web for pimping
Contemporary Examples
A crony named Tyrone “HK” McMillan faces even heavier time after being convicted last month of pimping underage girls.
Essentially, aggravated pimping is a worse version of pimping.
This time, he was touting ‘Veganville,’ and butted heads with Bobby Moynihan, who was pimping ‘Sausage Depot.’
Justin Timberlake Hosts Star-Studded SNL Feat. Jay-Z, Alec Baldwin, Tom Hanks, MoreMarlow Stern
March 10, 2013
I was beginning to think the entire interview would merely serve the function of Gloria Allred pimping her book.
The pimping trial reconvenes on January 20, when all the glamorous escorts are expected to be in court.
Out of Office, Berlusconi Faces 'Bunga Bunga' Prostitution TrialBarbie Latza Nadeau
November 24, 2011
Historical Examples
And I should not be the first that has procured his greatness by pimping.
The Comedies of William CongreveWilliam Congreve
They should not be pressed by "such a pimping vessel" as the Princess Augusta.
The Press-Gang Afloat and AshoreJohn R. Hutchinson
Convert the brave, honest officers of your navy into pimping tide-waiters and colony officers of the customs.
Benjamin FranklinFrank Luther Mott
Amongst these was the worthy Mr. Trent, for whom he had often done business of the pimping vocation.
AmeliaHenry Fielding
The man had been useful in many dubious actions; in bribery, solicitation, pimping, as a useful and facile witness.
Bakemono Yashiki (The Haunted House)James S. De Benneville
pimp1
- a man who solicits for a prostitute or brothel and lives off the earnings
- a man who procures sexual gratification for another; procurer; pander
- (intr) to act as a pimp
- (tr) slang to adapt or embellish in an ostentatious manner
Word Origin
pimp2
- a spy or informer
- (intr often foll by on) to inform (on)
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for pimping
pimp
n.
c.1600, of unknown origin, perhaps from Middle French pimpant "alluring in dress, seductive," present participle of pimper "to dress elegantly" (16c.), from Old French pimpelorer, pipelorer "decorate, color, beautify." Weekley suggests Middle French pimpreneau, defined in Cotgrave (1611) as "a knave, rascall, varlet, scoundrell," but Liberman is against this.
Judging by such recorded meanings of pimp as 'helper in mines; servant in logging camps,' this word was originally applied to boys and servants. [Liberman]
The word also means "informer, stool pigeon" in Australia and New Zealand and in South Africa, where by early 1960s it existed in Swahili form impimpsi. Pimpmobile first recorded 1973 (six years before Popemobile).
PIMP. A male procurer, or cock bawd; also a small faggot used about London for lighting fires, named from introducing the fire to the coals. ["Dictionary of Buckish Slang, University Wit and Pickpocket Eloquence," London, 1811]
pimp
v.
1630s (intransitive) "to act as a pimp," from pimp (n.). Related: Pimped; pimping.