geisha

American  

[gey-shuh, gee-] / ˈgeɪ ʃə, ˈgi- /

noun

plural

geisha, geishas

1. a Japanese woman trained as a professional singer, dancer, and companion for men.

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geisha British  

/ ˈɡeɪʃə /

noun

1. a professional female companion for men in Japan, trained in music, dancing, and the art of conversation

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geisha Cultural  

1. A Japanese woman who is trained and paid to provide entertainment and amusing company for men.

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Etymology

Origin of geisha

1890–95; < Japanese, equivalent to gei arts (< Chinese ) + -sha person (< Chin)

Example Sentences

Locals have complained of disrespectful tourists harassing the geisha in a frenzy for photos, as well as causing traffic congestion and littering.

From Barron's • Jan. 20, 2026

At a hot-springs resort in the snowiest mountains of Japan, a wealthy and bored man named Shimamura becomes involved with Komako, a geisha.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025

Hemingway “swearing they’d been served by geisha girls,” according to Gellhorn.

From Salon • Jul. 12, 2025

A teenage geisha married off to an American naval lieutenant, she remains devoted to him long after he abandons her.

From New York Times • Apr. 28, 2024

She told me to stay away from those girls, they were just being mean, and if I wanted lessons from the old geisha woman, Mama herself would take me over there and arrange it.

From "Farewell to Manzanar" by Jeanne Houston