What does whorehouse mean?
A whorehouse is a building or establishment where prostitutes work, historically often called a brothel or bawdy house. The expression is composed transparently from “whore” and “house,” and its bluntness reflects that literal formation. It is now regarded as a highly offensive term because it combines a derogatory word for a sex worker with the vocabulary of ordinary buildings and institutions. Historical novels, academic discussions of prostitution, and accounts of policing may nevertheless employ it when discussing past attitudes or referring directly to an establishment’s character. In ordinary modern prose, “brothel” is the more neutral and widely acceptable term. The word remains notable in public discussion because it can sound archaic and lurid, yet it is still encountered in older literature, social history, legal records, and descriptions of vice districts. Its meaning has remained relatively stable: the chief historical change is chiefly in social register, with older descriptive uses becoming increasingly offensive as attitudes toward language and prostitution have changed.
nounA building or establishment where prostitutes work; the term is vulgar and highly offensive in modern use.
- A building where prostitutes work, especially one where sexual services are available for payment.
"The historical novel portrays the women who lived and worked in the town’s whorehouse."
"The historical novel portrays the women who lived and worked in the town’s whorehouse."
"Police records provide unusually detailed accounts of the whorehouse raids conducted in the city."
The plural is formed by adding “-s.”
"The accounts describe several whorehouses operating in the district."
The word is unusually blunt even by modern standards: it literally names the house of a prostitute.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of whorehouse
Whorehouse developed in Middle English by combining “hore,” the older form of “whore,” with “house.” The word “whore” comes from Old English hore and originally referred to a prostitute; related forms include “whoredom” and “whoremonger.” The compound preserves an unusually literal description of the establishment, while its modern connotation is strongly derogatory.
Related word forms
How whorehouse is actually used
This is a highly derogatory and vulgar term. In contemporary writing, brothel is generally the appropriate neutral alternative. Older literary and historical texts may use it descriptively, but the offense remains strong.
Easily confused with whorehouse
A whorehouse was historically a building associated with prostitution, whereas a warehouse is a building used for storing goods.