Strippers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals who remove their clothing in a performance for entertainment or erotic purposes
2. Workers in the adult entertainment industry, often performing in clubs or venues
3. Professionals who engage in provocative dance routines to attract an audience and enhance the allure of their act

Etymology: Strippers take their name from the verb "strip," which in Old English meant to take off clothing or to deprive someone of something, and the agent suffix "-er" was added to name the person doing the stripping. The pattern is ordinary English: a baker bakes, a driver drives, and a stripper is one who strips. The older sense of the verb, to remove a covering or to rob, lies behind the modern meaning of undressing before an audience. The suffix itself has a long pedigree. The "-er" ending descends from Latin "-arius," which English received through Old French "-ier," and it reached Old English as "-ere" before settling into the Middle English and modern "-er" form. The same suffix turns up in words like "butcher" and "lawyer," so "stripper" joins a large family of occupational nouns built on this one piece.

Synonyms: dancers, performers, exhibitors