teahouse woman; woman working in a teahouse or restaurant, often providing entertainment or sexual services
Historical term for women employed in Edo-period teahouses (茶屋) or similar establishments, where duties ranged from serving tea to entertaining male customers, sometimes including prostitution. See also 茶屋 and 色茶屋.
In the Edo period, teahouse women entertained customers at teahouses.
At brothel-teahouses, teahouse women sometimes provided sexual services.
Compound of 茶屋 (teahouse) and 女 (woman). The exact historical derivation is straightforward; the term is now archaic.