Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a prostitute; thus Cyprian corps, a collective term for prostitution as a profession.

1598		Marston Satyres II 75: A well fac’d Gentleman ... paceth like a Cyprian.
1656		Mennis & Smith et al. ‘A Song’ Wit and Drollery 55: Just so the Cyprian Queen did lye, Expecting in her Bower, When too long stay, had kept the boy, Beyond his promised houre.
1721		‘Pervigilium Veneris’ in Pleasures of Coition xiv: Now to those Groves I wing my way / Where sports the Golden Cyprian Queen.
[1748–49		Cleland Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure (1985) 207: We were well under way, with a fair wind up channel, and full-freighted; nor indeed were we long before we finished our trip to Cythera, and unloaded in the old haven].
1775		Ranger’s Impartial List of the Ladies of Pleasure in Edinburgh Preface: But these are private instances of the advantages reflected upon a community by the fair followers of the Cyprian Queen.
1780		‘Grubstreticus’ Parody on the Rosciad 27: Amongst her nymphs, the Cyprian Queen, / In grace surpassing all, is seen.
1791		Essay on the Art of Strangling 8: The fair Cyprian [...] thought him greater than any modern Mars she had ever encountered.
1793		Sporting Mag. May II 120/1: Mr. Harwood had been guilty of a single adultery with two young women of the Cyprian corps.
1801		G. Hangar Life, Adventures and Opinions II 59: Ye lovely Cyprians, never hire a young fly-catching foot-boy [...] but keep a stout, sturdy young fellow.
1810		T. Creevey letter 19 Feb. in Gore Creevey Papers (1948) 78: The physician’s name is Dr. Knighton, accoucheur (as Grey says) to Poll Raffle, Wellesley’s Cyprian.
1819		Beppo in London lxxiv: They reach’d the Bull-and-Mouth unhurt, And pass’d the Cyprians without molestation.
1825		C.M. Westmacott Eng. Spy I 204: A pensioner of Cyprian queen, / The Bond-street tailor here is seen. [Ibid.] 233: The Royal Saloon, in Piccadilly, a place of fashionable resort (said Bob) for shell-fish and sharks, Greeks and pigeons, Cyprians and citizens, noble and ignoble.
1837		W. Kidd London and all its Dangers 34: I affirm that our dashing Cyprians receive little less than £4,000 per annum.
1841		J. Mills Old Eng. Gentleman (1847) 139: Two Cythereans of the pavé accosted him.
1843		Whip & Satirist of NY & Brooklyn (NY) 28 Jan. n.p.: The cyprians in this city are doing a very poor business.
1851		Bell’s Life in Sydney 26 Apr. 3/4: Two Cyprians, whose names ought to be a passport for their little peccadilloes.
1854		Life in Boston & N.Y. (Boston, MA) 13 May n.p.: She left a good husband and a better mother [...] to become a cyprian.
1857		J.E. Ritchie Night Side of London 202: The poor wretch that crawls along the street, all rouged and decked out in finery [...] is ‘a dashing Cyprian’.
1869		G. Ellington Women of N.Y. 297: A plebeian order of cyprians who are looked down upon by their sisters who dress finer.
1879		G.A. Townsend Bohemian Days 126: The cyprians whom he wooed followed him out.
1880		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 20 Nov. 11/3: [headline] Enslaved by a Cyprian.
1888–94		‘Walter’ My Secret Life (1966) VII 1376: I enjoyed their cunts as much as those of swell Cyprians.
1892		St Paul Dly Globe 22 June 7/5: A woman whom he introduced as his wife, but who turned out to be a common cyprian.
1940		H. Asbury Gangs of Chicago (2002) 51: A monthly prize-fight between two bruisers who fought [...] for a purse of two dollars and a night with one of Mother Herrick’s cyprians.
1953		A.J. Liebling Honest Rainmaker (1991) 24: The first cargo of sparkle-eyed Cyprians in 1721.
2000		B. Davies Silver Lining 🌐 ‘Jane about Town? Horizontal Worker? Fallen Woman? Cyprian?’ Liz laughed at Christie’s expression. ‘You can’t call us anything we haven’t already heard.’.