Procuresses

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A woman who manages or oversees the activities of others, often related to arranging clients for the purpose of prostitution
2. a female figure who aims to facilitate and profit from the business of illicit or suggestive encounters
3. one who engages in the brokerage of sexual services, typically catering to a specific clientele while maintaining discretion and operational control

Etymology: "Procuresses" is the plural of "procuress," the feminine form of "procurer," built from "procure" with the feminine suffix "-ess." "Procure" comes from Latin "procurare," meaning "to take care of" or "to manage," combining "pro-" ("on behalf of") with "curare" ("to care for"). The sense of obtaining or arranging something, including people, grew out of that general idea of managing or providing for. The sexual-services meaning is one narrow application of the older sense of arranging things for someone else, and the feminine form carries that specific sense.