whore

¹

[ hawr ]

noun

1. a person who engages in sex acts for money; prostitute.
2. Disparaging and Offensive. a person who is sexually promiscuous.
3. a person who sacrifices personal principles or uses someone or something in a base or unworthy manner, usually for money:

   a greedy publicity whore.

verb (used without object)

, whored, whor·ing.

1. to act as a whore.
2. to consort with whores.
3. to seek after something that is base or unworthy:

   those who practice idolatry and whore after other gods.

verb (used with object)

, whored, whor·ing.

1. to put to a base or unworthy use (sometimes followed by out ):

   He’s whoring out his skills by writing for popular magazines.

2. Obsolete. to make a whore of; corrupt; debauch.

who're

²

[ hoo-er ]

1. contraction of who are:

   Who're the people at the next table?

whore

/ hɔː /

noun

1. a prostitute or promiscuous woman: often a term of abuse

verb

1. to be or act as a prostitute
2. (of a man) to have promiscuous sexual relations, esp with prostitutes
3. often foll by after to seek that which is immoral, idolatrous, etc

Usage Note

See contraction.

Derived Forms

• ˈwhorishly, adverb
• ˈwhorishness, noun
• ˈwhorish, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of whore¹

First recorded before 1100; Middle English, Old English hōre; cognate with German Hure, Old Norse hōra; akin to Gothic hors “harlot,” Latin cārus “beloved; expensive”

Word History and Origins

Origin of whore¹

Old English hōre; related to Old Norse hōra, Old High German hvora, Latin carus dear

Example Sentences

When protesting with Women in Black or Peace Now, I might hear the words “Whore!”

From The Daily Beast

Although the word is increasingly adopted by defiant sign-waving activists, "Whore" has the power to hurt us at a deep level.

From The Daily Beast

Thence back, putting in at Dr. Whore's, where I saw his lady, a very fine woman.

From Project Gutenberg

The production of The Whore of Babylon marks the low-water mark of his unfortunate career.

From Project Gutenberg

Peace, you flead Whore, thou hast a mouth like a Bloodhound, here comes a night-shade.

From Project Gutenberg

Now consider what has been said, and Heaven give you Grace to put it in practise; that is to play the Whore.

From Project Gutenberg

The first that stood upon her Pantables, as being chief, was the Whore, and thus it was she manag'd her Cause.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• hustler
• slut
• tramp