cathouse

English

Alternative forms

• cat-house, cat house

Etymology

Compound of cat +‎ house.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkat.haʊs/

• Audio (AU):

  (file)

Noun

cathouse (plural cathouses)

1. (US, slang) A brothel.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:brothel

   • 1946, Milton “Mezz” Mezzrow, Bernard Wolfe, “Don’t Cry, Ma”, in Really the Blues, New York, N.Y.: Random House, book 1 (1899–1923: A Nothin’ but a Child), page 5:

     Do you know how he spent years watching the droopy chicks in cathouses, listening to his cellmates moaning low behind the bars […] ?

2. (literally) Any small house, structure or fold used to house a cat.

See also

• red light district
• prostitute

Anagrams

• achetous, hot sauce, house cat, housecat, soutache