puttana

whore; prostitute

noun poot-TAH-nah Rare

Usage Note

Puttana is a strongly vulgar and offensive term for a prostitute; it appears constantly in Italian profanity as a general intensifier. Learners should recognize it passively rather than use it actively. The pasta sauce spaghetti alla puttanesca takes its adjective puttanesco from this root.

Examples

"Puttana è una parola molto volgare."

Natural Translation

Puttana is a very vulgar word.

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