From Middle English harlot, from Old French harlot, herlot, arlot (“vagabond; tramp”), of obscure origin. Likely to be ultimately of Germanic origin, either from a derivation of *harjaz (“army; camp; warrior; military leader”) or from a diminutive of *karilaz (“man; fellow”). Compare English carlot.
Meanings
(uncommon) Wanton; lewd; low; base.
The intellection in it, kiddo—the intellection.... That most harlot of harlots... talking of me, laughing at me... I'll kill her.... 1943, Nick Joaquin, “It was Later than we Thought”, in Philippine Review:
From Middle English harlot, from Old French harlot, herlot, arlot (“vagabond; tramp”), of obscure origin. Likely to be ultimately of Germanic origin, either from a derivation of *harjaz (“army; camp; warrior; military leader”) or from a diminutive of *karilaz (“man; fellow”). Compare English carlot.
Meanings
(dated, derogatory, offensive) A female prostitute.
The bastard of a harlot, born in a brothel, suckled on gin, and familiar from earliest infancy with all the bestialities of debauch,[…] 1890, William Booth, chapter 6, in In Darkest England and the Way Out:
This day (great Duke) ſhe ſhut the doores vpon me, / While she with Harlots feaſted in my housſe. c. 1594 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Comedie of Errors”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i], page 98, lines 204-205:
Truly, My Satan, thou art but a Dunce, / And dost not know the Garment from the Man. / Every Harlot was a Virgin once, / Nor canst thou ever change Kate into Nan. 1908, William Blake, To the Accuser Who Is the God of This World:
Charlotte the Harlot show me your legs, / Charlotte the Harlot take me to bed. / Charlotte the Harlot let me see blood, / Charlotte the Harlot let me see love. 1980, Dave Murray, “Charlotte the Harlot”, in Iron Maiden, performed by Iron Maiden:
O fine religious, decent folk, / In Virtue’s flaunting gold and scarlet, / I sneer between two puffs of smoke,— / Give me the publican and harlot. 1918, Robert Louis Stevenson, “Hail! Childish Slaves Of Social Rules”, in New Poems and Variant Readings, London: Chatto & Windus:
He was stopped by a painted harlot, who put her hand on his arm; he pushed her violently away with brutal words. 1915, W[illiam] Somerset Maugham, chapter LXXVII, in Of Human Bondage, New York, N.Y.: George H[enry] Doran Company, →OCLC:
(derogatory, offensive) A female who is considered promiscuous.
(obsolete) A churl; a common man; a person, male or female, of low birth, especially one given to low conduct.
By suche ydle and wicked harlottes the enheritaunce of Christe is troden vnder fote. 1544, R. Tracy, Supplycacion to Kynge Henry VIII:
When lust doth rage it like a canker frets;
It topsie turvie, upside downe all sets;[…]
Where once it reigneth, there it maketh sure,
A man a harlot, and a wife a whoore; a. 1653, “Joseph Tempted to Adultery”, in Zion's Flowers, published 1855, page 103:
[Take into your service] none but such as deny all ungod∣liness, and worldly lusts, and live soberly, chastely, and moderately in the Seas, and whose speech is not stinking, and unclean, as most Sea-mens are. What should you do with such Harlots in your service? which calls for holiness, and better principled men. 1659, Daniel Pell, Pelagos […] Or, An improvement of the sea […] , page 37:
it baldracca (a female prostitute) · mk ку́рва (a female prostitute) · es puta (a female prostitute) · de Schlampe (female considered promiscuous) · cmn 妓女 (a female prostitute) · gl candonga (a female prostitute) · gd strìopach (a female prostitute) · bg блудница (a female prostitute) · cy putain (a female prostitute) · ru шлю́ха (a female prostitute) · nl hoer (a female prostitute) · pt mulher pública f. (a female prostitute) · pt messalina (a female prostitute) · mk курве́тина (a female prostitute) · nl temeier (a female prostitute) · tr orospu (female considered promiscuous) · fr prostituée (a female prostitute) · fr pute (a female prostitute) · ga drúth (a female prostitute) · pl nierządnica (a female prostitute) · la scortum (a female prostitute) · pt peripatética (a female prostitute) · tr fahişe (a female prostitute) · pl lafirynda (a female prostitute) · ota مال (female considered promiscuous) · gl baldreu (a female prostitute) · bg проститутка (a female prostitute) · fa روسپی (a female prostitute) · grc πόρνη (a female prostitute) · de Hure (a female prostitute) · es zorra (female considered promiscuous) · fi portto (a female prostitute) · gd siùrsach (a female prostitute) · la meretrix (a female prostitute) · ca prostituta (a female prostitute) · gl celenca (a female prostitute) · fi portto (female considered promiscuous) · nl prostituee (a female prostitute) · es ramera (a female prostitute) · fr fille de joie (a female prostitute) · hi कुलटा (a female prostitute) · pl jawnogrzesznica (a female prostitute) · pt puta (a female prostitute) · mk блу́дница (a female prostitute) · gl bordiona (a female prostitute) · gl maturranga (a female prostitute) · ota قالتاق (a female prostitute) · fa بلایه (a female prostitute) · hi गणिका (a female prostitute) · ca maturranga (a female prostitute) · sv sköka (a female prostitute) · da skøge (a female prostitute) · gl beldro (a female prostitute) · ota مال (a female prostitute) · pt mulher de vida fácil (a female prostitute) · gl bagaxa (a female prostitute) · fa هرزه (a female prostitute) · de Nutte (a female prostitute) · fa جنده (a female prostitute) · pt cortesã (a female prostitute) · it meretrice (a female prostitute) · ga striapach (a female prostitute) · pt mulher da vida (a female prostitute) · pdt Hua (a female prostitute) · pt rameira (a female prostitute) · xh .sfebe class Sfebe/Sfebes (a female prostitute) · it puttana (a female prostitute) · te లంజ (a female prostitute) · el καριόλα (a female prostitute) · es golfa (a female prostitute) · hi रण्डी (a female prostitute) · ota قالتاق (female considered promiscuous) · fr putain (a female prostitute) · pt meretriz (a female prostitute) · de Dirne (a female prostitute) · pt prostituta (a female prostitute) · fa فاحشه (a female prostitute) · hi वेश्या (a female prostitute) · fr catin (a female prostitute) · pl ladacznica (a female prostitute)
From Middle English harlot, from Old French harlot, herlot, arlot (“vagabond; tramp”), of obscure origin. Likely to be ultimately of Germanic origin, either from a derivation of *harjaz (“army; camp; warrior; military leader”) or from a diminutive of *karilaz (“man; fellow”). Compare English carlot.
Meanings
(intransitive) To play the harlot; to practice lewdness.
[…] they that spend their youth in loitering, bezzling, and harlotting, their studies in unprofitable questions, and barbarous sophistry 1614, John Milton, Animadversions upon the Remonstrants Defense against Smectymnuus: