Brothel

A brothel is a place where people may come to engage in sexual activity with a prostitute, sometimes referred to as a sex worker. Technically, any premises where prostitution commonly takes place qualifies as a brothel. However, for legal or cultural reasons, establishments sometimes describe themselves as massage parlors, bars, strip clubs, houses of ill repute, body rub parlours, studios or by some other description. Sex work in a brothel is considered safer than street prostitution.

Etymology

From the French bordel, ca. 1200 "bordel" sing. "prostitution place". The French word bordel comes from the Old German word Bord, which means "board". This word was used to describe the shacks made of boards in which prostitution occurred. The word bord was firstly transformed by the French to borde, then quickly became bordel.

Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, house of ill fame, house of prostitution, house of ill repute, strippy, knocking shop, pleasure house, strumpet house, sporting house, or whorehouse. Under English criminal law, a brothel is commonly referred to as a "disorderly house".