puss
English
Pronunciation
- enPR: po͝os, IPA(key): /pʊs/
- Rhymes: -ʊs
Etymology 1
From a Common Germanic word for cat, perhaps ultimately imitative of a sound made to get its attention (compare Arabic بسة). Akin to Dutch poes (“puss, cat”, slang for “vagina”), West Frisian poes, Low German Puus, Puuskatte, Danish pus, dialectal Swedish kattepus, Norwegian pus.
Found also in several other European, North Africa and West Asian languages; compare Romanian pisică and Sardinian pisittu.
Noun
puss (plural pusses)
- (informal) A cat.
- Our local theatre is showing Puss in Boots.
- A girl or young woman.
- (dated, hunting) A hare.
- 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, London: A[ndrew] Millar, OCLC 928184292:
- 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."
-
- (vulgar, slang) The vulva (female genitalia).
- (vulgar, slang, chiefly Canada, US) A coward; a wuss; someone who is unable to stand up for him- or herself.
Synonyms
Related terms
Derived terms
Etymology 2
Of Celtic origin, from or akin to Irish pus (“mouth, lip”), from Middle Irish bus.
Noun
puss (plural pusses)
- (slang) The mouth.
- She gave him a slap in the puss.
Synonyms
Anagrams
Norwegian Bokmål
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /pʉs/
Etymology 1
From pusse (“to clean, polish, plaster, render”).
Noun
puss m (definite singular pussen, indefinite plural pusser, definite plural pussene)
- polish, finery
- (a layer of) plaster (mortar), plastering
- finery
Etymology 2
Noun
Etymology 3
Apparently from Dutch Low Saxon or German Low German.
New High German Possen (“coarse prank”), although superficially similar, derives via Middle High German from Old French, and is therefore probably unrelated.
Noun
puss n (definite singular pusset, indefinite plural puss, definite plural pussa or pussene)
References
- “puss” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
Norwegian Nynorsk
Etymology 1
From pusse (“to clean, polish, plaster, render”).
Noun
puss m (definite singular pussen, indefinite plural pussar, definite plural pussane)
- polish, finery
- (a layer of) plaster (mortar), plastering
- finery
Etymology 2
Noun
Etymology 3
Apparently from Dutch Low Saxon or German Low German.
New High German Possen (“coarse prank”), although superficially similar, derives via Middle High German from Old French, and is therefore probably unrelated.
Noun
puss n (definite singular pusset, indefinite plural puss, definite plural pussa)
References
- “puss” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
Swedish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /pɵs/
Audio (file)
Noun
puss c
- Peck; a light or dispassionate kiss performed with closed lips, used for example as a greeting or in non-sensual/non-sexual contexts.
- A puddle, a plash.
Declension
| Declension of puss | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | Plural | |||
| Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite | |
| Nominative | puss | pussen | pussar | pussarna |
| Genitive | puss | pussens | pussars | pussarnas |