souteneur

pimp

noun soo-tuh-NUR Rare

Origin: from soutenir (to support, maintain)

Usage Note

Souteneur is the formal or legal term for a man who lives off a sex worker's earnings; colloquially proxénète and maquereau are also used. The word comes from soutenir because he 'supports' (exploits) the person; it appears mainly in legal documents and press reports.

Examples

"Le souteneur a été arrêté par la police."

Natural Translation

The pimp was arrested by the police.

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