Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A house of prostitution.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Same as bordel. B. Jonson; Milton.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun a building where prostitutes are available for hire; a brothel.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A brothel

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a building where prostitutes are available

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Italian, from Old French bordel, from borde, wooden hut, of Germanic origin.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Italian bordello

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Examples

  • The bordello is run by sultry vampire women who feast on their customers and use their profits to fund a corrupt religious organization run by Chris Sarandon, none other than "Princess Bride" villain Prince Humperdink himself.

    Sink Your Teeth Into ‘Bordello Of Blood’ In Today’s Sick Day Stash! » MTV Movies Blog 2010

  • The British literary bordello is heaving with flabby novels; it's time to give back some love to the story.

    Archive 2005-08-01 Sharon Bakar 2005

  • A new restaurant and bar has opened, Mechicano, which looks like a red bordello from the sidewalk but which is a fun spot with live music many nights as well.

    Any special events June 23-26? 2005

  • The British literary bordello is heaving with flabby novels; it's time to give back some love to the story.

    The Goddess of the Literary Bordello Sharon Bakar 2005

  • Indeed, they held her in deep respect and affection, and I gathered that being bought for her bordello was a matter of close competition among the Orleans fancies, and about as difficult as getting into the Household Brigade.

    Isabelle Estelle Bruno 2010

  • It has been lovingly characterized as boasting the fuzzy, lush decor of a 1970s German bordello, which is both true and misleading.

    convention hoop-lah and whatnot 2004

  • Indeed, they held her in deep respect and affection, and I gathered that being bought for her bordello was a matter of close competition among the Orleans fancies, and about as difficult as getting into the Household Brigade.

    Flashman and The Redskins Fraser, George MacDonald, 1925- 1982

  • Indeed, they held her in deep respect and affection, and I gathered that being bought for her bordello was a matter of close competition among the Orleans fancies, and about as difficult as getting into the Household Brigade.

    Flashman And The Redskins Fraser, George MacDonald, 1925- 1982

  • And what they currently find there might best be described as a bordello of indeterminate purpose: everything from shopping tips to a discussion on the deeply important subject of "vibrators: friend or foe?"

    CNET News.com 2010

  • When his teenage daughter, in Season 3 being raised by Hank in California while her mother takes a job in New York tells him she lives in a "bordello," all he can do is nod, agree, and apologize.

    Jill Di Donato: Tune in and Step Right up... It's the Man With Two Faces Jill Di Donato 2010

Comments

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  • Italian for brothel. Now commonly used in Italy to mean:

    either a lot of something

    or a mess.

    Same can be said of its synonym "casino" (not casinò).

    February 5, 2008