How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms. R. W. Holder. 2014.
Courtesan — Cour te*san (k?r t? z?n; 277), n. [F. courtisane, fr. courtisan courtier, It. cortigiano; or directly fr. It. cortigiana, or Sp. cortesana. See {Court}.] A woman who prostitutes herself for hire; a prostitute; a harlot. [1913 Webster]… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
courtesan — early 15c., from M.Fr. courtisane, from It. cortigiana prostitute, lit. woman of the court, fem. of cortigiano one attached to a court, from corte court, from L. cortem (see COURT (Cf. court)) … Etymology dictionary
courtesan — is pronounced kor tǝ zan, with stress on the last syllable … Modern English usage
courtesan — ► NOUN ▪ a prostitute, especially one with wealthy or upper class clients. ORIGIN French courtisane, from obsolete Italian cortigiana female courtier … English terms dictionary
courtesan — [kôrt′ə zən, kôrt΄ə zan′; ] also, esp.formerly, [kʉrt′ə z n] n. [Fr courtisane < It cortigiana, a prostitute, orig., court lady < corte, court < VL curtis: see COURT] a prostitute; esp., a mistress of a king, or a man of wealth or… … English World dictionary
Courtesan — For other uses, see Courtesan (disambiguation). Relationships … Wikipedia
courtesan — UK [ˌkɔː(r)tɪˈzæn] / US [ˌkɔrtəˈzæn] noun [countable] Word forms courtesan : singular courtesan plural courtesans in the past, a woman who had sex with rich and important men in exchange for money, protection, and status … English dictionary
courtesan — [[t]kɔ͟ː(r)tɪzæ̱n, AM zən[/t]] courtesans N COUNT In former times, a courtesan was a woman who had sexual relationships with rich and powerful men for money … English dictionary
Courtesan (disambiguation) — Courtesan may refer to Courtesan, a female courtier a prostitute catering to clients of wealth and status Euripus, a genus of brush footed butterflies commonly known as the Courtesans, Euripus nyctelius, a species in the genus Euripus commonly… … Wikipedia
courtesan — noun Etymology: Middle French courtisane, from northern Italian dialect form of Italian cortigiana woman courtier, feminine of cortigiano courtier, from corte court, from Latin cohort , cohors Date: 1533 a prostitute with a courtly, wealthy, or … New Collegiate Dictionary
