as in prostitute
a woman who engages in sexual activities for money
in the 17th century the port was a notorious hangout for Caribbean pirates and their bawds
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Recent Examples of bawd
Lewd women, bawds and adventuresses were not welcome in courts, nor were prostitutes or immoral characters.
—
Clement Knox, Time, 4 Feb. 2020
Two rival madams—based on real historical characters—are fighting each other for a customer base: earthy bawd Mrs. Margaret Wells and elegant, conniving Mrs. Lydia Quigley.
—Viv Groskop, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2017
Clement Knox, Time, 4 Feb. 2020
Two rival madams—based on real historical characters—are fighting each other for a customer base: earthy bawd Mrs. Margaret Wells and elegant, conniving Mrs. Lydia Quigley.
—Viv Groskop, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bawd
Noun
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The next year, he was arrested again for robbing and assaulting a prostitute.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
-
Later that day, he was stabbed to death in a drug deal gone bad by two transients and a prostitute.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Bemis, sold by her family in China and sent to America, worked as a domestic, not as a hooker.—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
28 Mar. 2026
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The trope of the hooker-in-the-dumpster is as old as TV itself.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bawd.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bawd. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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