From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Meretricious \Mer`e*tri"cious\, a. [L. meretricius, from
meretrix, -icis, a prostitute, lit., one who earns money, i.
e., by prostitution, fr. merere to earn, gain. See {Merit}.]
1. Of or pertaining to prostitutes; having to do with
harlots; lustful; as, meretricious traffic.
[1913 Webster]
2. Resembling the arts of a harlot; alluring by false show;
gaudily and deceitfully ornamental; tawdry; as,
meretricious dress or ornaments.
[1913 Webster]
3. Deceptive or based on deception; seeming plausible, but
based on pretense or insincerity; deceptive; misleading;
insincere; specious; as, meretricious arguments.
[PJC] -- {Mer`e*tri"cious*ly}, adv. --
{Mer`e*tri"cious*ness}, n.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
meretricious
adj 1: like or relating to a prostitute; "meretricious
relationships"
2: tastelessly showy; "a flash car"; "a flashy ring"; "garish
colors"; "a gaudy costume"; "loud sport shirts"; "a
meretricious yet stylish book"; "tawdry ornaments" [syn:
{brassy}, {cheap}, {flash}, {flashy}, {garish}, {gaudy},
{gimcrack}, {loud}, {meretricious}, {tacky}, {tatty},
{tawdry}, {trashy}]
3: based on pretense; deceptively pleasing; "the gilded and
perfumed but inwardly rotten nobility"; "meretricious
praise"; "a meretricious argument" [syn: {gilded},
{meretricious}, {specious}]
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