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giton

kept boy

noun zhee-TOHN Rare
People & Society Relationships

Origin: From the character Giton in Petronius' Satyricon

Also means

catamite

Usage Note

Giton is a dated and literary term for a young man kept as a lover, often by a wealthy patron. It carries strong connotations of exploitation and male same-sex relationships in classical literary contexts. In modern French it is essentially archaic outside literary history discussions.

Examples

"Le romancier décrit son protagoniste comme un giton entretenu."

Natural Translation

The novelist describes his protagonist as a kept boy.

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