lady-of-the-night

[ ley-dee-uhv-thuh-nahyt ]

noun

, plural la·dies-of-the-night.

1. a tropical American shrub, Brunfelsia americana, of the nightshade family, having berrylike yellow fruit and fragrant white flowers.

Word History and Origins

Origin of lady-of-the-night¹

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

Also I said to him, 'O my father and O the delight of my eyes, give me your license and permission to go with one of my maidens alone for three days into the woods to do secret sacrifices to Zardeenah, Lady of the Night and of Maidens, as is proper and customary for damsels when they must bid farewell to the service of Zardeenah and prepare themselves for marriage.'

From Literature

Mr. Little has told investigators that his mother had been — in his words — “a lady of the night.”

From New York Times

And not just ingredients, but cultures too – Louisiana is a true lady of the night – everyone’s had some input.

From The Guardian

That’s how a perfectly nice doll met her gruesome end as a lady of the night, becoming another case number for a hardened detective.

From Washington Post

In Liverpool, it was reported a "lady of the night" left £3 at the police station "for the Spitfire Fund", this amount being the standard fine for soliciting.

From BBC