brothel

C2 Topic:Social Issues & Human Rights

US /ˈbɹɔθəl/ UK /ˈbɹɒθəl/ See IPA manual

Freq #8459

Meanings

1

noun
a building where prostitutes are available

A new brothel is opening up in the red light district.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a building where... bagnio

More bawdyhousecat-housefuckhousehookshopleaping-houseprostibulestew

Word family

Forms brothels

Related forms pimp

Etymology

From Middle English brothel, brodel, brodelle, brethel (“a wretch, a depraved man or woman”) (compare also Middle English bretheling (“a wretch”)), apparently from an unrecorded Old English *brēoþel (“degenerative, corruptive”), related to Old English ābrēoþan (“to unsettle, degrade, ruin, frustrate, degenerate, deteriorate, fall away”); Old English ābroþen (“degenerate, base, trifling”); both ultimately from Proto-Germanic *breuþaną (“to fall apart; crumble”). The expected modern English form would be *broddle (see fiddle); the failure of the change from /ðl/ to /dl/ may be because of the...

Topics

Social Issues & Human Rights

External links

# brothel

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈbɹɔθəl/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈbɹɒθəl/
**Frequency rank:** 8459

## Meanings
1. a building where prostitutes are available

## Examples
- A new brothel is opening up in the red light district.

## Synonyms
- bagnio
- bawdyhouse
- cat-house
- fuckhouse
- hookshop
- leaping-house
- prostibule
- stew

## Related Forms
- pimp

## Etymology
From Middle English brothel, brodel, brodelle, brethel (“a wretch, a depraved man or woman”) (compare also Middle English bretheling (“a wretch”)), apparently from an unrecorded Old English *brēoþel (“degenerative, corruptive”), related to Old English ābrēoþan (“to unsettle, degrade, ruin, frustrate, degenerate, deteriorate, fall away”); Old English ābroþen (“degenerate, base, trifling”); both ultimately from Proto-Germanic *breuþaną (“to fall apart; crumble”). The expected modern English form would be *broddle (see fiddle); the failure of the change from /ðl/ to /dl/ may be because of the...

## Topics
- Social Issues & Human Rights

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