A direct, somewhat dated or formal term for a prostitute. The cross-reference 売春婦 is more common in modern usage.
See also: 売春婦
In that novel, a woman working as a prostitute appears.
More common and neutral modern term for a prostitute. 淫売婦 is less frequent and carries a slightly more formal or dated tone.
Standard kanji form for this term.
Contains the outdated kyūjitai form 賣 of 売.
Compound of 淫 (in, 'lewd') + 売 (bai, 'sell') + 婦 (fu, 'woman'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the spelling is conventionally associated with the meaning.