From Middle English hore, from Old English hōre, from Proto-Germanic *hōrǭ, from Proto-Indo-European *kéh₂ros (“loved”), from *keh₂- (“to wish; desire”). Cognate with Dutch hoer, German Hure, Old Norse hóra as well as Sanskrit चारु (cā́ru, “dear”), Latin cārus (“dear, expensive”), and Irish cara (“friend”). The unetymological spelling with wh- superficially denotes a formerly standard pronunciation with an excrescent /w/ (such as in whole), but such a form is hardly found in either commentators on Early Modern English pronunciations or records of traditional dialects (which both explicitly mention its rarity or absence), therefore leaving the spelling somewhat inexplicable. However, this may be because such an excrescent /w/ was absorbed by a following /uː/ (as in words with etymological /w/ such as whom, two) after it became established in the spelling but before our earliest orthoepic records.
1
Derogatory, Vulgar Synonym of prostitute: a person (especially a woman) who offers sexual services for payment.
The merciless Macdonald – worthy to be a rebel, for that the multiplying villainies of nature do swarm upon him – from the Western Isles of kerns and gallowglasses is supplied, and fortune on his damned quarrel smiling showed like a rebel's whore.c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
I come looking for a job But I get no offers Just a come-on from the whores on Seventh Avenue1969, Paul Simon, Simon & Garfunkel, “The Boxer”, Bridge over Troubled Water, Columbia Records
2
Derogatory, Vulgar A person who is sexually promiscuous; a slut.
He cals her on a ſudden, all to naught; ſhe is a ſtrumpet, a light huswife, a bitch, an arrant whore.1638, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], “Symptomes of Iealousie, Fear, Sorrow, Suspition, Strange Actions, Gestures, Outrages, Locking Up, Oathes, Trials, Lawes, &c.”, in The Anatomy of Melancholy. […], 5th edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] [Robert Young, Miles Flesher, and Leonard Lichfield and William Turner] for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition 3, section 3, member 2, subsection 1, page 610:
So after he fucks the shit out of me, he tells me I'm lying about his whore not being Brad.2004, Dennis Cooper, The Sluts, page 250:
3
Derogatory, Vulgar A person who is unscrupulous, especially one who compromises their principles for gain.
You're smart. They're all whores.1980, Paul Schrader, American Gigolo, spoken by Mrs. Laudner (Frances Bergen):
Dude: Since when did you become a political whore? Phil: I prefer the term political slut, thank you very much!2004 February 12, Bayard Russell, nonemorecomic:
4
Derogatory, Vulgar A person who will violate behavioral standards to achieve something desired.
Vidal is at once more detached and more preoccupied with his own view, celebrating an aristocracy of sensibility constantly thwarted and ignored by those mere whores after fame, the statesmen and politicians.1982, Daniel Hoffman with Leo Braudy, Harvard guide to contemporary American writing:
By that time, Tejeda had already been accused of beating his wife, abandoning his children, living in sin with another woman, being a whore for the insurance lobby, and accepting bribes.1990 June, Mother Jones Magazine, volume 15, number 4, page 9:
2 more examples
a shameless hack—such a whore for the money—that he wouldn't even lend his name to his creations.1997, John Irving, A Son of the Circus:
I don't want to be a media whore," says Babydol. "I don't need to 'sell' my record — it will sell because it's good or won't if it's not1999 October, Los Angeles Magazine, volume 44, number 10, page 186:
"Begone," Clare shouted. She could not bring herself to kill in cold blood. "Begone, or I'll shoot." "Idiot whore," he shouted back. "You would not dare."1999 August, Rod Garcia y Robertson, “Strongbow”, in Fantasy & Science Fiction, volume 97, number 2, page 4:
I don't need that Lamont Cranston to tell me. Every Irishman knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men. We've known since the time of that rotten ould whore, Elizabeth the Bloody First!2000 Spring, Pete Hamill, “The Fenian Ram”, in World of Hibernia, volume 5, number 4, page 72:
1 more example
Saxon curses rang in her ears. Dane, they yelled, Viking whore. We will have revenge on you.2003, Helen Kirkman, A moment's madness:
From Middle English hore, from Old English hōre, from Proto-Germanic *hōrǭ, from Proto-Indo-European *kéh₂ros (“loved”), from *keh₂- (“to wish; desire”). Cognate with Dutch hoer, German Hure, Old Norse hóra as well as Sanskrit चारु (cā́ru, “dear”), Latin cārus (“dear, expensive”), and Irish cara (“friend”). The unetymological spelling with wh- superficially denotes a formerly standard pronunciation with an excrescent /w/ (such as in whole), but such a form is hardly found in either commentators on Early Modern English pronunciations or records of traditional dialects (which both explicitly mention its rarity or absence), therefore leaving the spelling somewhat inexplicable. However, this may be because such an excrescent /w/ was absorbed by a following /uː/ (as in words with etymological /w/ such as whom, two) after it became established in the spelling but before our earliest orthoepic records.
As for those whose hearts go a whoring after the world, and who set their affections on the things of the earth, they cannot love his appearing1856, Matthew Henry, An exposition of the Old and New Testament, volume 2, page 42:
Whoring after fame, rushing into print, "scoring a scoop,"— alas! some scientists are too human.1967, Hawaiian Historical Society, The Hawaiian journal of history, volume 1:
4 more examples
"That Jeroboam. He whores after power." "And you, my son, lust more decorously?"1973, Herbert Tarr, A time for loving:
Is there any distinction between a nation that whores after a golden calf and one that whores after a black Cadillac?1976, Matthew Fox, Whee! We, wee, all the way home:
If he whores after the new thing, he will only get it wrong and wind up praising the latest charlatans, the floozies of the New.1978, Wilfrid Sheed, The good word & other words:
For them, God is still in heaven, and we his sinful children are still whoring after the twin idols of modernity and materialism.2010 December 28, Mordechai Beck, “Set apart”, in Christian Century, volume 127, number 26, page 22:
BTW, that guy whuz still an asshole - camping the BFG and whoring the quad - I usually leave BFG maps but stuck around on that one and suicided quite a bit (3 times I got to about -10 frags, then came back to 0...).