prostitute

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a person who engages in sexual activity in exchange for payment

   The outreach program provides legal and medical support to prostitutes and other sex workers.

2. 2
   verb

   to use one's abilities, principles, or reputation for an unworthy purpose, especially for money

   Critics accused the artist of prostituting his talent for commercial success.

Simplified etymology

Prostitute, recorded from the mid-16th century, comes from Latin prostituere, “expose publicly” or “offer for sale.” That verb combines pro- “before” with statuere “set up, place.”

From Latin prostitutus, the past participle of prostituere ("to expose publicly; offer for sale"), formed from pro- ("before, in front of") + statuere ("to set, place").

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary