— prostitutor , n.
/pros"ti tooht', -tyooht'/ , n. , v. , prostituted, prostituting .
n.
1. a woman who engages in sexual intercourse for money; whore; harlot.
2. a man who engages in sexual acts for money.
3. a person who willingly uses his or her talent or ability in a base and unworthy way, usually for money.
v.t.
4. to sell or offer (oneself) as a prostitute.
5. to put to any base or unworthy use: to prostitute one's talents.
[ 1520-30; prostituta, n. use of fem. of prostitutus, ptp. of prostituere to expose (for sale), equiv. to pro- PRO- 1 + -stitu-, comb. form of var. s. of statuere to cause to stand + -tus ptp. suffix; see STATUS ]
Syn. 1. call girl, streetwalker, courtesan; trollop, strumpet.