prostitution

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)
prostitution
    n 1: offering sexual intercourse for pay [syn: {prostitution},
         {harlotry}, {whoredom}]
    
from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Prostitution \Pros`ti*tu"tion\, n. [L. prostitutio: cf. F.
   prostitution.]
   1. The act or practice of prostituting or offering the body
      to an indiscriminate intercourse with men; common lewdness
      of a woman.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. The act of setting one's self to sale, or of devoting to
      infamous purposes what is in one's power; as, the
      prostitution of abilities; the prostitution of the press.
      "Mental prostitution." --Byron.
      [1913 Webster]
    
from Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856)
PROSTITUTION. The common lewdness of a woman for gain. 
     2. In all well regulated communities this has been considered a heinous 
offence, for which the woman may be punished, and the keeper of a house of 
prostitution may be indicted for keeping a common nuisance. 
     3. So much does the law abhor this offence, that a landlord cannot 
recover for the use and occupation of a house let for the purpose of 
prostitution. 1 Esp. Cas. 13; 1 Bos. & Pull. 340, n. 
     4. In a figurative sense, it signifies the bad use which a corrupt 
judge makes of the law, by making it subservient to his interest; as, the 
prostitution of the law, the prostitution of justice. 
    
from Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
77 Moby Thesaurus words for "prostitution":
      Cosa Nostra, Mafia, abuse, abuse of office, adulteration,
      befouling, befoulment, black market, bootlegging, contamination,
      conversion, corrupt administration, corruption, debasement,
      defalcation, defilement, degradation, desecration, devaluation,
      diversion, embezzlement, envenoming, festering, fouling, gambling,
      gray market, harlotry, illegal commerce, illegal operations,
      illegitimate business, illicit business, infection, loan-sharking,
      lowering, maladministration, malfeasance, malpractice,
      malversation, misapplication, misappropriation, misconduct,
      misemployment, misfeasance, mishandling, mismanagement, misusage,
      misuse, moonshining, narcotics traffic, organized crime, pandering,
      peculation, perversion, pilfering, pimping, poisoning, pollution,
      poor stewardship, profanation, protection racket, racket,
      shady dealings, solicitation, soliciting, streetwalking,
      suppuration, the rackets, the syndicate, traffic in women, usury,
      vice, violation, vitiation, white slavery, whoredom, whoremastery,
      whoremonging

    

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