noun
low-class prostitute displayed in a cage (Edo period)
Historical term for a low-ranking prostitute who was kept in a barred enclosure at the front of a brothel to attract customers during the Edo period.
江戸時代の吉原では、見世女郎が格子の向こうから客を呼び込んだ。
In the Yoshiwara district of the Edo period, low-class prostitutes called out to customers from behind the lattice.
Compound of 見世 (みせ, 'shop' or 'show') and 女郎 (じょろう, 'prostitute'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term refers to the practice of displaying such women at the front of brothels.