hetaera
/hɪˈtɪərə
/(also hetaira /hɪˈtʌɪrə/)
noun (plural hetaeras or hetaerae /hɪˈtɪəriː/ or hetairas or hetairai /hɪˈtʌɪrʌɪ/)
A courtesan or mistress, especially an educated one in ancient Greece: the scene shows the birth of Aphrodite from the sea, and a hetaira, piping...
- A number of the women had time to develop their minds in between flaunting their bodies, more like geisha girls, or the hetaerae of ancient Greece, than modern-day porn stars.
- In ancient Greece female professional musicians were usually slaves and prostitutes, such as the highly educated hetairai who often sang and accompanied themselves on the lyre.
- This has been a traditional marketing angle in the sex industry, dating back to Roman times when the hetaerae, or foreign women, commanded the highest prices for sexual services.
Origin
From Greek hetaira, feminine of hetairos 'companion'.