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whore
[ hawr ]
/ hÉr /
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noun
verb (used without object), whored, whor·ing.
verb (used with object), whored, whor·ing.
to put to a base or unworthy use (sometimes followed by out): Heâs whoring out his skills by writing for popular magazines.
Obsolete. to make a whore of; corrupt; debauch.
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On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roostersâ; ______ not even comparable.
Origin of whore
First recorded before 1100; Middle English, Old English hĆre; cognate with German Hure, Old Norse hĆra; akin to Gothic hors âharlot,â Latin cÄrus âbeloved; expensiveâ
historical usage of whore
As far as etymology goes, whore is unblemished: Itâs from Old English hĆre, from the Germanic root hĆ-, extended with a suffixed -r, thus hĆr-.
The Germanic root is a regular development of the Proto-Indo-European root kÄ- âto like, desireâ (extended with the same suffixed -r ). KÄr- appears in Latin in cÄrus âdear, beloved, expensive,â and in the noun cÄritÄs âlove, affection, high priceâ (and through Old French, in charity meaning âChristian loveâ). KÄr- appears in the Celtic languages as cara in Irish, and car in Welsh and Breton, all meaning âfriend.â In Slavic (Polish), we find kurva.
The unetymological spelling, with initial w- (as also occurs in whole ), became common about 1600.
Nell Gwyn (1650-87), one of King Charles IIâs numerous mistresses, made the best comeback ever recorded: When she was surrounded in her coach by a Protestant mob who thought she was Louise de KĂ©rouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth (1649â1734), a Catholic woman and another of King Charlesâs mistresses, Nell leaned out of her coach and shouted down the mob with âPray good people be civil, I am the Kingâs Protestant whore.â
The Germanic root is a regular development of the Proto-Indo-European root kÄ- âto like, desireâ (extended with the same suffixed -r ). KÄr- appears in Latin in cÄrus âdear, beloved, expensive,â and in the noun cÄritÄs âlove, affection, high priceâ (and through Old French, in charity meaning âChristian loveâ). KÄr- appears in the Celtic languages as cara in Irish, and car in Welsh and Breton, all meaning âfriend.â In Slavic (Polish), we find kurva.
The unetymological spelling, with initial w- (as also occurs in whole ), became common about 1600.
Nell Gwyn (1650-87), one of King Charles IIâs numerous mistresses, made the best comeback ever recorded: When she was surrounded in her coach by a Protestant mob who thought she was Louise de KĂ©rouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth (1649â1734), a Catholic woman and another of King Charlesâs mistresses, Nell leaned out of her coach and shouted down the mob with âPray good people be civil, I am the Kingâs Protestant whore.â
Words nearby whore
whoosh, whoosis, whop, whopper, whopping, whore, whoredom, whorehouse, whorehouse cut, whoremaster, whoremonger
Other definitions for whore (2 of 2)
who're
[ hoo-er ]
/ Ëhu Ér /
contraction of who are:Who're the people at the next table?
usage note for who're
See contraction.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use whore in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for whore
whore
/ (hÉË) /
noun
a prostitute or promiscuous woman: often a term of abuse
verb (intr)
to be or act as a prostitute
(of a man) to have promiscuous sexual relations, esp with prostitutes
(often foll by after) to seek that which is immoral, idolatrous, etc
Derived forms of whore
whorish, adjectivewhorishly, adverbwhorishness, nounWord Origin for whore
Old English hĆre; related to Old Norse hĆra, Old High German hvora, Latin carus dear
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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