brothel

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Definitions (6)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. noun A house of prostitution.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (3)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (1)

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (1)

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Examples

  • I've squared away, and ridden herd upon, most kind of convoys in my time, but shipping a brothel was a new one on me. —  Flashman And The Redskins
  • The line at the brothel was a block long, so that was out-even had he been interested. —  The Heirs of Babylon
  • In comparison with Hassan al Sabah's "Paradise" -- which looked like a brothel -- this "private brothel" looked more like an anteroom to Paradise itself. —  The Eternal Mercenary
  • But as they returned to the dusty streets of Macao, hawkers swarmed about them, attracted by the rumor: "The young fellow from the brothel was a big winner." —  Hawaii
  • What if their-the brothel was here, in this building? —  Take A Thief
 

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Brothel has been looked up 201 times, favorited 0 times, listed 12 times, and commented on 0 times.

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Etymologies (4)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Short for brothel-house, from Middle English brothel, prostitute, from brothen, past participle of brethen, to go to ruin, from Old English brēothan, to decay.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (3)

  1. Middle English, also brethel (and corruptly brodel, brodelle), a wretch, a depraved man or woman; der. bretheling, a wretch; from Anglo-Saxon *breóthan, only in comp. ā-breóthan, ruin, frustrate, past participle ābrothen, degenerate, base, trifling; connections doubtful.
  2. An early modern English corruption of Middle English bordel, a house of ill-fame, by confusion with Middle English brothel, a wretch: see brothel.
  3. from brothel, n. Cf. bordel, n.
 

Pronunciations
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/ˈbrɑθɛl/
by American Heritage

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