plural bawds
1
old-fashioned
a
: a woman who runs a brothel : madam
b
: a woman who engages in sexual acts and especially sexual intercourse in exchange for pay : a woman who is a sex worker
2
obsolete
: pander
Synonyms
Examples of bawd in a Sentence
in the 17th century the port was a notorious hangout for Caribbean pirates and their bawds
Recent Examples on the Web
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
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bawd.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Bawd.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bawd. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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