cathouse

noun

cat·​house ˈkat-ˌhau̇s 

plural cathouses

informal

: a place where prostitutes are available : brothel

Raymond's whorehouses helped the town's economy quite a bit. … I used to find out what the cathouses were like inside because I often went there to pick up drunks.

—Ron Strickland

Synonyms

• bagnio
• bawdy house
• bordello
• brothel
• disorderly house
• sporting house
• stew
• whorehouse

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

While he’s recycled some material over the years, Springsteen busted out a truly outrageous new one last year that involved a Nevada cathouse, a lot of flatulence, and other bodily fluids. —Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 7 Sep. 2022

There was a cathouse in the apartment complex above it. —Bruce Jenkins, San Francisco Chronicle, 16 Apr. 2022

The cathouse madam Billie (played with authority and delight by Kate Shindle) has more to do than before. —Alexis Soloski, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2018

Word History

First Known Use

1882, in the meaning defined above