Entry 1 sense Webster, 1913 Courtesan /(k?r"t?-z?n; 277)/ · Cour·te·san · IPA /ˈkɔɹtɪzən/ 01 n. A woman who prostitutes herself for hire; a prostitute; a harlot. 1. A woman who prostitutes herself for hire; a prostitute; a harlot. “Lasciviously decked like a courtesan.” — Sir H. Wotton.