streetwalker

IPA/ˈstriːtwɔːkə(r)/
IPA/ˈstriːtwɔːkər/

streetwalker — noun

  • streetwalkersingular
  • streetwalkersplural

1. Someone who offers sex for money and finds customers by walking on the streets o

1.nounB2
Definition

Someone who offers sex for money and finds customers by walking on the streets of a city.

Example

The city council voted to increase support services for streetwalkers instead of arresting them.

A documentary about streetwalkers in Mumbai showed the daily dangers they face on the job.

Common collocations
  • former streetwalker
  • young streetwalker
  • work as a streetwalker
  • arrest streetwalkers
  • target streetwalkers
Synonyms
  • prostitute

    a more general term for someone who provides sex for money, regardless of location

  • sex worker

    the modern, neutral term that covers all forms of sex work, often preferred for its dignity

Usage Note

This word is considered dated by many speakers. The terms 'sex worker' or 'prostitute' are more common in modern English. 'Streetwalker' specifically refers to sex workers who find clients on the street, not in a brothel or through an agency.

Common Mistakes

She was a streetwalker who worked at a massage parlor.
She was a streetwalker who looked for clients on the street.
'streetwalker' specifically means someone who finds customers on the street, not in a fixed location.

Etymology

First known use

1591

1591, in the meaning defined above