Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for brothel

brothel

[ broth-uhl, broth-, braw-thuhl, -thuhl ]

noun

  1. a house of prostitution.


brothel

/ ˈbrɒθəl /

noun

  1. a house or other place where men pay to have sexual intercourse with prostitutes
  2. informal.
    any untidy or messy place
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Discover More

Other Words From

  • brothel·like adjective
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of brothel1

First recorded in 1350–1400, for an earlier sense; short for brothel-house “whorehouse”; Middle English brothel “harlot,” originally, “worthless person,” from broth- (past participle stem of brethen, Old English brēothan “to decay, degenerate”) + -el, noun suffix
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of brothel1

C16: short for brothel-house , from C14 brothel useless person, from Old English brēothan to deteriorate; related to briethel worthless
Discover More

Example Sentences

On his time as chief whip, Hart's book contains anonymised and shocking stories of MPs in various compromising positions - including accounts of sexual harassment and visits to brothels.

From BBC

It quickly became apparent that the flat was being used as a brothel and the only witness to the brutal murder was a young Chinese woman who had hid from the killer.

From BBC

Four years later, after marrying the owner of a bar, she became the madam of a brothel – a job she only gave up recently, to look after her nieces in the city.

From BBC

Ventura County sheriff’s detectives arrested a woman who they say operated brothels disguised as spas.

An underground tunnel used for torturing people and a brothel were found during investigations at Félix-Houphouët-Boigny University in the main city of Abidjan, the authorities say.

From BBC

Advertisement

Related Words

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


brothbrother