disorderly house

American  

noun

1. a house of prostitution; brothel.

2. a gambling place.

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disorderly house British  

noun

1. law an establishment in which unruly behaviour habitually occurs, esp a brothel or a gaming house

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Etymology

Origin of disorderly house

First recorded in 1800–10

Example Sentences

The club’s then-owners, Gino Del Prete and Pete Mattioli, were charged with “running a disorderly house,” according to reporting by the San Francisco Chronicle.

From Los Angeles Times

On Jan. 1, 1896, William Dorsey Swann was charged with keeping a disorderly house at 1504 L St. NW.

From Washington Post

The mayor of Beare’s town then testified he had received many complaints about Beare keeping a disorderly house, as if that were evidence of guilt, at which point the judge said the prosecution had proven its case so thoroughly there was no point in presenting evidence on the third charge.

From Washington Post

When police raided one of these parties on his 30th birthday, he was charged with “keeping a disorderly house” — a euphemism at the time for running a brothel — and sentenced to 10 months in jail.

From New York Times

An invaluable contribution to history was an entertaining 1987 book by Mills called “A Disorderly House,” which contained candid tales of the Unruh Assembly era, including the speaker’s constant battles with Gov. Pat Brown, a fellow Democrat.

From Los Angeles Times