prostitute
UK[ˈprɒstɪtjuːt]US[ˈprɑːstɪtuːt]
n
a person, typically a woman, who engages in sexual activity for payment.
v
to offer (someone, typically oneself) for sexual activity in exchange for payment.
v
(figurative) to put (one's talents, skills, etc.) to an unworthy or corrupt use for the sake of personal or financial gain.
Morpheme Breakdown
pro
stitute
pro
forward/in front of
stitute
to stand/to place
Etymology
the word "prostitute" originates from the latin verb 'prostituere', meaning "to expose publicly, to offer for sale". this verb is a compound of the prefix 'pro-' ("in front of, publicly") and 'statuere' ("to set up, to place"). the literal sense was "to set up or place in front," implying public exposure for sale. in ancient roman society, this term was applied to those, often slaves, who were placed in front of a brothel or in a public space to solicit sexual commerce. the semantic evolution moved from the general act of public offering for sale to the specific and morally charged modern meaning of offering one's body for sexual payment. the figurative sense of debasing one's skills for gain logically extends from this core idea of offering something valuable in a degrading public marketplace.
Analysis
Structure: pro (forward/in front of) + stitute (to stand/to place)
- pro: from latin 'pro-', a prefix meaning "forward, forth, in front of, for, on behalf of".
- stitute: from latin 'statuere', meaning "to set up, to place, to stand". it is a variant of the root 'sta-' (to stand).
Examples
the documentary explored the difficult lives of street prostitutes.
he was accused of prostituting his artistic integrity by writing advertisements for a dishonest company.
in the novel, the character felt she had prostituted herself by marrying for money rather than love.