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. (rare, literally) Any small house, structure or fold used to house a cat.
   • 2012, Chrystal Parker, Daily Dose of Dogs (Aka Cats with Your Coffee), page 490:

     Alot^[sic] of great work is being done all throughout blog land in terms of raising the money to build a cathouse for homeless kitties here at the daily dose.

See also

• red light district
• prostitute

Anagrams

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