brothel

noun

broth·​el ˈbrä-thəl How to pronounce brothel (audio) ˈbrȯ- How to pronounce brothel (audio)
 also  -t͟həl
plural brothels
: a business establishment where sex workers are available for hire
For recreation, there were bars, after-hours joints, pool halls, strip joints, brothels, and transient motels.Darlene Nall
Elizaveta is happy to become the madam of a high-class brothel.Jonathan Fast
In the brutal red-light district of Chicago, at the dawn of the 20th century, most brothels emphasized "efficiency instead of fantasy."Ada Calhoun

Examples of brothel in a Sentence

the district is infamous for its brothels and drug dealers
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In her engaging, candid book, Leite recounts her experience working as a prostitute in the brothels of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and her eventual transformation into a social activist. Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025 In one quest, a brothel recruited me to find a lost shipment, only to discover that said shipment contained an herb used as a contraceptive — which was outlawed in the Empire. Hayes Madsen, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2025 Eddy Diaz, 66, a Bolivian immigrant who runs a soccer supply store along a busy stretch of Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights, Queens, was relieved last year when the police shut down a brothel that had opened next to his storefront. Andy Newman, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025 As a result, the client can often have a false sense of security when visiting the brothel. Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 24 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for brothel

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, worthless fellow, prostitute, from brothen, past participle of brethen to waste away, go to ruin, from Old English brēothan to waste away; akin to Old English brēotan to break — more at brittle

First Known Use

1566, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of brothel was in 1566

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Cite this Entry

“Brothel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brothel. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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