In Japan a geisha (also called geiko or geigi) is a professional entertainer of the female sex. These girls undergo a long training in singing, the art of conversation, playing various musical instruments, and etiquette. They usually contract with tea-houses. It is considered honorable in Japan for a girl to take up this profession to assist her parents, and it does not prejudice her chance of marriage at a latter date.
The most literal translation of geisha into English would be "artist" or "performing artist".
The very first geishas were men.
