courtesan

or cour·te·zan

[ kawr-tuh-zuh n, kohr-, kur- ]

/ ˈkɔr tə zən, ˈkoʊr-, ˈkɜr- /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR courtesan ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a prostitute or paramour, especially one associating with noblemen or men of wealth.

RELATED WORDS

prostitute, concubine, whore, paramour

Nearby words

Origin of courtesan

1540–50; < Middle French courtisane < Italian cortigiana, literally, woman of the court, derivative of corte court

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for courtesan

She killed herself in 1925 and she also may have been a courtesan, I discovered a few years ago.
Amy Tan: How I Write|Noah Charney|December 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The look was inspired by Dutch exotic dancer, courtesan, and the World War I spy Mata Hari.
Deconstructing Lady Gaga's 5 Bras in "Applause"|Erin Cunningham|August 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The Girl Who Loved Camellias by Julie Kavanagh The courtesan who seduced Paris—and inspired Dumas and La Traviata.
This Week’s Hot Reads: June 10, 2013|Mythili Rao|June 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST
“I think what she is doing is an abuse of the word ‘courtesan,’” the escort says.
Vegas' Mystery Sex Blog|Richard Abowitz|March 24, 2010|DAILY BEAST

Three customers have called her for appointments and, when she arrived, asked her if she was the Courtesan.
Vegas' Mystery Sex Blog|Richard Abowitz|March 24, 2010|DAILY BEAST
If ever there were one, she would relapse into the courtesan in Paradise.
Scenes from a Courtesan's Life|Honore de Balzac
She was no longer the courtesan; she was an angel rising after a fall.
Scenes from a Courtesan's Life|Honore de Balzac
I have struggled hard against it, but it seems that I am doomed to end in being a courtesan.
The Princess of Bagdad|Alexandre Dumas
Madame Roguin thus became sovereign mistress of the situation, and treated her husband as a courtesan treats an elderly lover.
Rise and Fall of Cesar Birotteau|Honore de Balzac
The temple was too well guarded for a courtesan to be able to enter it.
Ancient Manners|Pierre Louys

British Dictionary definitions for courtesan

courtesan

courtezan

/ (ˌkɔːtɪˈzæn) /

noun

(esp formerly) a prostitute, or the mistress of a man of rank

Word Origin for courtesan

C16: from Old French courtisane, from Italian cortigiana female courtier, from cortigiano courtier, from corte court

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for courtesan

courtesan

early 15c., from Middle French courtisane, from Italian cortigiana "prostitute," literally "woman of the court," fem. of cortigiano "one attached to a court," from corte "court," from Latin cortem (see court (n.)).