puss
nounnounnounattested in dialogue
- Scotland//pʉs//
- //pʊs//
A cat.
noun
- 1
informalA cat.
Our local theatre is showing Puss in Boots.
Come here, puss! I've got some milk for you.
- 2
datedA girl or young woman, or any child.
- 3
datedA hare.
He then began to beat about, in the ſame Language, and in the ſame Manner, as if he had been beating for a Hare, and at laſt cried out, 'Soho! Puſs is not far off. Here's her Form, upon my Soul; I believe I may cry ſtole away.'
'[…] It won't kill Puss any better for that.' / "'But, goodness gracious, what can that hare be made of?' I asked.
Mention a hare to Master Twyti and, although he would still go on galloping after the wretched hart which seemed to be his destiny, he would gallop with one eye over his shoulder yearning for puss.
- 4
slangThe vulva (female genitalia).
- 5
slangSex with a woman.
So don't know! So, what are you gonna do? Sell your birthright for a little bit of puss?
- 6
slangA coward; a wuss; someone who is unable to stand up for themselves.
Etymology
Probably from Middle Low German pūse, pūskatte or Dutch poes (“puss, cat”, also slang for “vulva”), ultimately from a common Germanic word for cat, perhaps ultimately imitative of a sound made to get its attention (compare Arabic بسة (bissa)). Akin to West Frisian poes, Low German Puus, Puuskatte, Danish pus, dialectal Swedish kattepus, Norwegian pus. Found also in several other European, North African and Asian languages; compare Romanian pisică, Persian پیشی (piši), Tamil பூசை (pūcai), Tagalog pusa and Sardinian pisittu.
noun
- 1
slangThe mouth.
Shut your puss before I shut it for you.
Hubbert has a rasping voice and a razory laugh, and he's busy and theatrical in the worst way — a noisy performing pro with whirlwind arms and a saturnine puss.
- 2
slangThe face.
She gave him a slap in the puss.
Etymology
Of Celtic origin, from or akin to Irish pus (“mouth, lip”), from Middle Irish bus. Compare also Middle Low German pussen (“to kiss”), Middle High German bussen (“to kiss”).
noun
- 1
Variant of pusAlternative spelling of pus.
It didn't move as much, and the same teary puss leaked from its eyes.
People called him Puss Head because if you crossed him, he went to great lengths to make sure that before you died, puss leaked from your head.
Puss leaked out from beneath white gauze on his back and trickled down his spine.
Forms
- plural
- pusses