n.
Pronunciation: hi- ' tir- ə
Variant: or he · tai · ra \ - ' t ī -r ə \
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural he · tae · rae \ - ' tir-( ˌ ) ē \ or hetaeras or hetairas or he · tai · rai \ - ' t ī - ˌ r ī \
Etymology: Greek hetaira, literally, companion, feminine of hetairos
Date: 1820
1 : one of a class of highly cultivated courtesans in ancient Greece
2 : DEMIMONDAINE