puss

See also: pus

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. 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.

Noun

puss ‎(plural pusses)

1. (informal) A cat.

   Our local theatre is showing Puss in Boots.‎

2. A girl or young woman.
3. (dated, hunting) A hare.
4. (vulgar, slang) Vulva (female genitalia).
5. (vulgar, slang, chiefly Canada, US) A coward, a wuss; someone unable to stand up for himself.

Synonyms

• (cat): moggie/moggy

Related terms

• pussy

Derived terms

• puss out

Etymology 2

Of Celtic origin, from or akin to Irish pus ‎(“mouth, lip”), from Middle Irish bus.

Noun

puss ‎(plural pusses)

1. (slang) The mouth.

   She gave him a slap in the puss.

Synonyms

• (mouth): cakehole, gob, mush, trap

Anagrams

• PSUs, sups, USPs, USPS

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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)

1. polish, finery
2. (a layer of) plaster (mortar), plastering
3. finery

Etymology 2

Wikipedia ^no

From Latin pus.

Noun

puss m, n ‎(definite singular pussen or pusset)

1. (pathology) pus (yellowish fluid from infected tissue)

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)

1. trick, prank

References

• “puss” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

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Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology 1

From pusse ‎(“to clean, polish, plaster, render”).

Noun

puss m ‎(definite singular pussen, indefinite plural pussar, definite plural pussane)

1. polish, finery
2. (a layer of) plaster (mortar), plastering
3. finery

Etymology 2

Wikipedia ⁿⁿ

From Latin pus.

Noun

puss m, n ‎(definite singular pussen or pusset)

1. (pathology) pus (yellowish fluid from infected tissue)

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)

1. trick, prank

References

• “puss” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

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Swedish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɵs/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

puss c

1. peck; a light or dispassionate kiss performed with closed lips, used for example as a greeting or in non-sensual/non-sexual contexts
2. a puddle, a plash

Declension

Inflection of puss
	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	puss	pussen	pussar	pussarna
Genitive	puss	pussens	pussars	pussarnas

Related terms

• pussa

See also

• kyss