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Synonyms

house of ill repute

American  

noun

  1. a house of prostitution; whorehouse; brothel.


house of ill repute British  

noun

  1. a euphemistic name for brothel

"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

Etymology

Origin of house of ill repute

First recorded in 1720–30

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Open-city proponent, former city councilman, lawyer noted for defending houses of ill repute, casually smoked a corncob pipe.

From Seattle Times

In the 1950s, teenagers drove Fords and Chevrolets back and forth over the same flat road through downtown and the historic Delano District, where outlaws and houses of ill repute once raised hell.

From New York Times

It’s now a gantlet of survival as groups pass through areas such as a general store, butcher shop, town jail, doctor’s office and a house of ill repute.

From Washington Times

His sister-in-law did run a house of ill repute and sell babies, so what was his connection to organized crime?

From Time

Maureen , an older woman living alone in a former house of ill repute owned by her gangster son, Jimmy Phelan, clocks an intruder on the head with a gaudy religious tchotchke.

From Washington Post