Hierarchy of Courtesans.

Prostitute hierarchy:

mistresses: These are the ones - male or female - who are companions and lovers to a single patron.

Mistress/Master: Head of a House, in charge of a group of courtesans.

Courtesan: Highly trained, highly specialized in pleasures of the flesh. Often have some other abilities in games, music and the like.

Whore: Attached to a house under a person who runs the business, rents out the rooms for a price and takes a piece of the profits.

Prostitute: Applied to one place/house, under the control of a Pimp - who does not work.

Streetwalker: Just what they sound like: workers of the street, and often not under the control of anyone, but can have a Pimp.

Druggies: Those hooked on Spice and other drugs, who sleep with folks for drug money.

Everyone else: These are the homeless, the desperate. They only have sex for money, so as not to starve.