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In Japan, a geisha is a member of a professional class of women whose occupation is to entertain men. She must be adept at singing, dancing, and playing the samisen (a three-stringed musical instrument), in addition to being skilled at making conversation. The geisha system is thought to have emerged in the 17th century to provide a class of well-trained entertainers set apart from courtesans and prostitutes: though geisha sometimes had sexual relationships with clients, they were supposed to entertain primarily through their accomplishments. The numbers of geisha have declined from some 80,000 in the 1920s to a few thousand at present, almost all confined to Tokyo and Kyoto, where they are patronized by only the wealthiest businessmen and most influential politicians.
Examples of geisha in a Sentence
Kendra Vaculin, Bon Appétit, 1 Jan. 2025
Locals in Japan’s ancient capital Kyoto have complained of tourists harassing the city’s famed geisha and decided to ban visitors from entering private alleys.
—Afp, Fortune Asia, 23 Dec. 2024
There are machines with brawny German beer maids, flawless Chinese geishas, Manchu emperors on golden buffalo.
—Jonathan Rowe, SPIN, 18 Dec. 2024
The courtesans were trained in music, etiquette and dance and the women of the area were a social symbol for the elite, with their presence at ceremonies a statement of class and wealth akin to Japan's geishas.
—Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY, 30 Apr. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Geisha.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/geisha. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
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geisha
noun
Japanese, from gei "art" and -sha "person"
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