geisha

[ gey-shuh, gee- ]

noun

, plural gei·sha, gei·shas.

1. a Japanese woman trained as a professional singer, dancer, and companion for men.

geisha

/ ˈɡeɪʃə /

noun

1. a professional female companion for men in Japan, trained in music, dancing, and the art of conversation

geisha

1. A Japanese woman who is trained and paid to provide entertainment and amusing company for men.

Word History and Origins

Origin of geisha¹

1890–95; < Japanese, equivalent to gei arts (< Chinese ) + -sha person (< Chin)

Word History and Origins

Origin of geisha¹

C19: from Japanese, from gei art + sha person, from Ancient Chinese ngi and che

Example Sentences

One didn’t feel any real connection between the lovers, but maybe that, too, was wanted, given that the callous American sailor treats marriage to a geisha during a shore leave in Nagasaki as a lark.

From Los Angeles Times

A teenage geisha married off to an American naval lieutenant, she remains devoted to him long after he abandons her.

From New York Times

We see this in "Miss Saigon," "Memoirs of a Geisha" and Stanley Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket."

From Salon

Gong, who rose to fame as the star of lush Chinese movies such as 1988's "Red Sorghum" and "Farewell my Concubine" in 1993, before earning wider recognition in Hollywood films such as 2005's "Memoirs of a Geisha", was back on the Cannes Film Festival's red carpet this week after being on pandemic lockdown for the last three years.

From Reuters

She’s a topless geisha in one sketch, a cartoonish chimera in another.

From New York Times