The word "pimp" first appeared in English in 1607, in a Thomas Middleton play entitled "Your Five Gallants". It is of unknown origin, but may have stemmed from the French infinitive "pimper" meaning to dress up elegantly and from the present participle "pimpant" meaning alluring in seductive dress. "Pimp" used as a verb, meaning to act as a pimp, first appeared in 1636 in Philip Massinger's play, "The Bashful Lover". In the 18th and 19th centuries, the term was commonly used to refer to informers. A pimp can also mean "a despicable person". The term can also be applied to a person who is considered a ladies' man.