Definition of hooker

The word "hooker" originally referred to a fisherman's tool - a small curved iron device called a fish hook - in the 1800s. The word then evolved to describe a type of prostitute due to the use of a specific pick-up technique by some sex workers in the red-light districts of New York City around this time. In these districts, women would stand on corners and adorn themselves with elaborate dresses, known as "stallions," which were brightly colored and decked with hooks. These hooks were used to hold the dresses in place and present a more alluring figure to potential clients. As prostitution became increasingly associated with these districts, the term "hooker" came to refer to women who worked in these areas. The term "hooker" was popularized by the military during the American Civil War, when Union soldiers used it as a pejorative for female prostitutes who followed the army, Gertrude "Culligan" Thompson, being one of them. The derogatory connotation caught on in society as a whole and has remained a part of the English lexicon since. Today, the word has negative connotations and is often used as an insult to refer to a woman engaged in any type of immoral or unscrupulous behavior, rather than specifically to a prostitute. The historical context of the word's creation, however, serves as a reminder of its literal and metaphorical origins.