bitch
English
Etymology
From Middle English biche, bicche, from Old English biċċe, from Proto-Germanic *bikjǭ (compare Norwegian bikkje (“dog”), Old Danish bikke), from *bikjaną (“to thrust, attack”) (compare Old Norse bikkja (“plunge into water”), Dutch bikken (“to hack”)). More at bicker.
Pronunciation
- enPR: bĭch, IPA(key): /bɪt͡ʃ/
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 290: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "Slang" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /bɪt͡s/
Audio (US): (file) Audio (UK): (file) - Rhymes: -ɪtʃ
Noun
bitch (plural bitches)
- (dated or specialised, dog-breeding) A female dog or other canine, particularly a recent mother.
- My bitch just had puppies; they're so cute!
- (archaic, offensive) A promiscuous woman, slut, whore.[1]
- (vulgar, offensive) A despicable or disagreeable, aggressive person, typically a woman or man considered effeminate in some way. [from 15th c.]
- Ann gossiped about me and mocked my work; sometimes she can be a real bitch!
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- 1913, D. H. Lawrence, Sons and Lovers, I. iv. 60:
- 'Look at the children, you nasty little bitch!' he sneered.
- 1959, William S. Burroughs, Naked Lunch, page 70
- HASSAN: "You cheap Factualist bitch! Go and never darken my rumpus room again!"
- (vulgar, offensive) A submissive person who does what others want; (prison slang) a man forced or coerced into a homoerotic relationship. [from the 20th c]
- Dude, don't be such a bitch. Assert yourself.
- You're so weak-willed with your girlfriend. You must be the real bitch in the relationship.
- 1999 September 23, Chris Sheridan, “This House Is Freakin’ Sweet”, “Peter, Peter, Caviar Eater”, Family Guy, season 2, episode 1, Fox Broadcasting Company
- Now that you're stinking rich, we'd gladly be your bitch.
- (obsolete, informal, of a man) A playful variation on dog (sense "man"). [from the 16th c]
- (humorous, vulgar, colloquial, used with a possessive pronoun) Friend. [from the 20th c]
- What’s up, my bitch?
- How my bitches been doin'?
- (vulgar, colloquial) A complaint, especially when the complaint is unjustified.
- (colloquial, vulgar, usually only used in the singular) A difficult or confounding problem.
- Level 5 was a real bitch, don’t you think?
- That's a bitch of a question.
- (colloquial) A queen (playing card), particularly the queen of spades in the card game of hearts.
- (vulgar, figurative) Something unforgiving and unpleasant.
- 1991, Stephen Fry, The Liar, p. 27:
- Karma's a bitch.
- (vulgar, informal, slang) Place; situation
- I'm 'bout to get up outta this bitch.
Usage notes
- While bitch’s original canine sense permits it to be used in most media, it remains offensive enough that, in the US, it is often minced (as b, b-word, or female dog) in formal contexts.
Alternative forms
- slang and non-standard forms, used only for the insult (not the female animal):
Synonyms
- (female dog, etc): female (when the species is specified or implied)
- (malicious, etc, woman): See Thesaurus:shrew or Thesaurus:jerk
- (malicious, etc, man): See Thesaurus:bastard or Thesaurus:jerk
- (jocular slang, one's friend): See Thesaurus:friend
- (person in an unfavorable, undesirable position):
- (person in a relationship who is made to adopt a submissive role): doormat, slave
- (man forced into a homoerotic relationship in prison): punk, gunsel
- (a complaint): gripe, grumble, kvetch, moan, whinge
- (difficult or confounding problem): toughie, stinker, pain in the ass
- (to talk about):
Hyponyms
- female canine
Derived terms
Terms derived from bitch
Translations
female canine
|
disagreeable, aggressive person, usually female
|
submissive person
playful variation on dog (sense "man") — see dog
jocular slang: one's friend
complaint — see complaint
difficult or confounding problem
|
colloquial: playing card queen
|
References
- Weisenberg, Michael (2000) The Official Dictionary of Poker. MGI/Mike Caro University. →ISBN
Verb
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- (vulgar, intransitive) To behave or act as a bitch.
- (vulgar, intransitive) To criticize spitefully, often for the sake of complaining rather than in order to have the problem corrected.
- All you ever do is bitch about the food I cook for you!
- (vulgar, transitive) To spoil, to ruin.
- 1924, Ford Madox Ford, Some Do Not…, Penguin 2012 (Parade's End), p. 162:
- ‘You're a Franco-maniac…You're thought to be a French agent…That's what's bitching your career!’
- 1924, Ford Madox Ford, Some Do Not…, Penguin 2012 (Parade's End), p. 162:
Synonyms
- (make derogatory comments): badmouth, slag off (UK), snipe
- (complain spitefully): See Thesaurus:complain
Translations
complain (about something) spitefully
|
References
- ^ Geoffrey Hughes, Encyclopedia of Swearing: The Social History of Oaths, Profanity, Foul Language, and Ethnic Slurs in the English-Speaking World, Armonk, N.Y.: M.E. Sharpe, 2006:
The early applications were to a promiscuous or sensual woman, a metaphorical extension of the behavior of a bitch in heat. Herein lies the original point of the powerful insult son of a bitch, found as biche sone ca. 1330 in Arthur and Merlin ... while in a spirited exchange in the Chester Play (ca. 1400) a character demands: “Whom callest thou queine, skabde bitch?” (“Who are you calling a whore, you miserable bitch?”).
Dutch
Etymology
Borrowed from English bitch, from Middle English biche, bicche, from Old English biċċe, from Proto-Germanic *bikjǭ.
Pronunciation
Noun
bitch f (plural bitches, diminutive bitchje n)
- (derogatory) bitch (somewhat general term of abuse for a woman; disagreeable, assertive, aggressive or malicious woman)
- (derogatory) bitch (person in a submissive or low-placed position)
Related terms
French
Etymology
Borrowed from English bitch, from Middle English biche, bicche, from Old English biċċe, from Proto-Germanic *bikjǭ.
Pronunciation
Noun
bitch f (plural bitchs)
- bitch (disagreeable, despicable woman)
Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms inherited from Old English
- English terms derived from Old English
- English terms inherited from Proto-Germanic
- English terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- English 1-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- Rhymes:English/ɪtʃ
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English dated terms
- English terms with usage examples
- English terms with archaic senses
- English offensive terms
- English vulgarities
- English slang
- English terms with obsolete senses
- English informal terms
- English humorous terms
- English colloquialisms
- English intransitive verbs
- English transitive verbs
- English swear words
- en:Dogs
- en:Female animals
- English basic words
- English contranyms
- Dutch terms borrowed from English
- Dutch terms derived from English
- Dutch terms derived from Middle English
- Dutch terms derived from Old English
- Dutch terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- Dutch terms with IPA pronunciation
- Dutch terms with audio links
- Dutch lemmas
- Dutch nouns
- Dutch feminine nouns
- Dutch derogatory terms
- French terms borrowed from English
- French terms derived from English
- French terms derived from Middle English
- French terms derived from Old English
- French terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- French 1-syllable words
- French terms with IPA pronunciation
- French lemmas
- French nouns
- French countable nouns
- French feminine nouns