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Webster's Dictionary (1865)

3 entries under this word

Prostitute

Prŏs'ti-tūte, v. t.

verbtransitive

(30), v. t. [imp. & p. p. PROSTITUTED; p. pr. & vb. n. PROSTITUTING.] [Lat. prostituere, prostitutum, from pro, before, forth, and statuere, to put, place; It. prostituire, Sp. prostituir, Fr. prostituer.]

Sense 1. To offer, as a woman, to a lewd use; to give up for hire to sexual gratification.

Do not prostitute thy daughter. Lev. xix. 29.

Sense 2. Hence, to devote to base or unworthy purposes; to give up to low or indiscriminate use; to abandon.

Should I abuse this consecrated gift Of strength, again returning with my hair, . . . By prostituting holy things with idols? Milton.

Prŏs’ti-tūte, a.

adjective

a. [Lat. prostitutus, p. p. of prostituere; It. prostituito, Sp. prostituido, prostituto, Fr. prostitué. See supra.] Openly devoted to lewdness; devoted to base or infamous purposes. “Made bold by want, and prostitute for bread.” Prior.

Prŏs'ti-tūte, n.

noun

n. [Lat. prostituta, It. prostituita, Sp. prostituida, prostituta, Fr. prostituée. See supra.]

  1. A woman given to indiscriminate lewdness; a strumpet.
  2. Hence, a base hireling; a mercenary; one who offers himself to infamous employments for hire.

No hireling she, no prostitute to praise. Pope.