芸子

Etymology
Compound of.

Noun

 * 1) a geisha, especially a young geisha
 * 2) a young kabuki actor, especially one still in training
 * 3) a talented person, especially with regard to performing
 * 4) short for : a special kind of hairstyle traditionally worn by geisha

Usage notes
For the sense of a woman employed to wear traditional dress and entertain using traditional song, dance, music, and storytelling:
 * geisha is the most general term.
 * geigi is most often used in writing, typically more formal writing.
 * geiko is more common in the Kansai region of Japan.
 * kirei-dokoro can be used to mean a beautifully dressed woman, but more often refers to a woman working as an entertainer in a red-light district.
 * hidarizuma is a somewhat old-fashioned epithet for a geisha, referring to the way that geisha hold onto the left (hidari) edge below the collar portion (tsuma) of their kimono while walking.