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puss

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: pus

English

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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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

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puss (countable and uncountable, plural pusses)

  1. (informal, often as a term of address) A cat.
    Our local theatre is showing Puss in Boots.
    Come here, puss! I've got some milk for you.
  2. (dated, endearing) A girl or young woman, or any child.
  3. (dated, hunting) A hare.
    • 1749, Henry Fielding, “In which is seen a more moving Spectacle, than all the Blood in the Bodies of Thwackum and Blifil and of Twenty other such, is capable of producing”, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume II, London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book V, page 220:
      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.'
    • 1881, P. Chr. Asbjörnsen [i.e., Peter Christen Asbjørnsen], “A Day with the Capercailzies”, in H. L. Brækstad, transl., Round the Yule Log. Norwegian Folk and Fairy Tales, London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, →OCLC, page 77:
      '[…] It won't kill Puss any better for that.' / "'But, goodness gracious, what can that hare be made of?' I asked.
    • 1958, T[erence] H[anbury] White, chapter 16, in The Once and Future King, New York, N.Y.: G. P. Putnam's Sons, →ISBN, book I (The Sword in the Stone):
      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. (vulgar, slang) The vulva (female genitalia).
  5. (uncountable, vulgar, slang, metonymic) Sex with a woman.
    • 1986, Tim Kazurinsky, Denise DeClue, About Last Night, spoken by Bernie (Jim Belushi):
      So don't know! So, what are you gonna do? Sell your birthright for a little bit of puss?
  6. (vulgar, slang, chiefly Canada, US) A coward; a wuss; someone who is unable to stand up for themselves.
Synonyms
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Derived terms
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Etymology 2

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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

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puss (plural pusses)

  1. (slang) The mouth.
    Shut your puss before I shut it for you.
    • 1991, New York Magazine, volume 24, number 21, page 62:
      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. (slang) The face.
    She gave him a slap in the puss.
Synonyms
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Derived terms
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Etymology 3

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Noun

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puss (uncountable)

  1. Alternative spelling of pus.
    • 2010 Alien Purgatory page 40
      It didn't move as much, and the same teary puss leaked from its eyes.
    • 2012 Southern Supposition page 132
      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.
    • 2016 When Crickets Cry page 267
      Puss leaked out from beneath white gauze on his back and trickled down his spine.

References

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Anagrams

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Estonian

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Pronunciation 1

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  • IPA(key): /ˈpusʲː/, [ˈpusʲː]
  • Rhymes: -usʲː
  • Hyphenation: puss

Etymology 1

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Perhaps sound-symbolic.

Noun
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puss (genitive pussi, partitive pussi)

  1. sheath knife; puukko
    Synonym: pussnuga
    Near-synonym: Soome puss
Declension
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Declension of puss (ÕS type 22e/riik, length gradation)
singular plural
nominative puss pussid
accusative nom.
gen. pussi
genitive pusside
partitive pussi pusse
pussisid
illative pussi
pussisse 		pussidesse
pussesse
inessive pussis pussides
pusses
elative pussist pussidest
pussest
allative pussile pussidele
pussele
adessive pussil pussidel
pussel
ablative pussilt pussidelt
pusselt
translative pussiks pussideks
pusseks
terminative pussini pussideni
essive pussina pussidena
abessive pussita pussideta
comitative pussiga pussidega
Derived terms
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verbs
phrases
Compounds
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Etymology 2

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From either Low German pusse or German Posse, from Old French boce.

Noun
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puss (genitive pussi, partitive pussi)

  1. (uncommon) prank, practical joke
    Synonyms: vingerpuss, ninanips, vemp, vigurdus
Declension
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Declension of puss (ÕS type 22e/riik, length gradation)
singular plural
nominative puss pussid
accusative nom.
gen. pussi
genitive pusside
partitive pussi pusse
pussisid
illative pussi
pussisse 		pussidesse
pussesse
inessive pussis pussides
pusses
elative pussist pussidest
pussest
allative pussile pussidele
pussele
adessive pussil pussidel
pussel
ablative pussilt pussidelt
pusselt
translative pussiks pussideks
pusseks
terminative pussini pussideni
essive pussina pussidena
abessive pussita pussideta
comitative pussiga pussidega
Compounds
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Pronunciation 2

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  • IPA(key): /ˈpusː/, [ˈpusː]
  • Rhymes: -usː
  • Hyphenation: puss

Etymology

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From Proto-Finnic *pussu ~ *pusso.

Noun

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puss (genitive pussu, partitive pussu)

  1. (colloquial) poot (quiet fart)
    Coordinate terms: peer, puuks, kõhutuul
Declension
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Declension of puss (ÕS type 22e/riik, length gradation)
singular plural
nominative puss pussud
accusative nom.
gen. pussu
genitive pussude
partitive pussu pusse
pussusid
illative pussu
pussusse 		pussudesse
pussesse
inessive pussus pussudes
pusses
elative pussust pussudest
pussest
allative pussule pussudele
pussele
adessive pussul pussudel
pussel
ablative pussult pussudelt
pusselt
translative pussuks pussudeks
pusseks
terminative pussuni pussudeni
essive pussuna pussudena
abessive pussuta pussudeta
comitative pussuga pussudega
Derived terms
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verbs
Compounds
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References

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  • puss in Sõnaveeb (Eesti Keele Instituut)
  • “puss”, in [EKSS] Eesti keele seletav sõnaraamat [Descriptive Dictionary of the Estonian Language] (in Estonian) (online version), Tallinn: Eesti Keele Sihtasutus (Estonian Language Foundation), 2009

Norwegian Bokmål

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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

Noun

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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

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Norwegian Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia no

From Latin pus.

Noun

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puss m or n (definite singular pussen or pusset)

  1. (pathology) pus (yellowish fluid from infected tissue)
    Synonym: verk

Etymology 3

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From Middle Low German putze, pusse, posse. Ultimately from Proto-Germanic *bautaną (“to hit”), likely in part through Old French boce (“bump”). Compare German Posse, Dutch poets.

Noun

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puss n (definite singular pusset, indefinite plural puss, definite plural pussa or pussene)

  1. trick, prank

References

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Norwegian Nynorsk

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Etymology 1

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

Noun

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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

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Norwegian Nynorsk Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia nn

From Latin pus.

Noun

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puss m or n (definite singular pussen or pusset)

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

Etymology 3

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From Middle Low German putze, pusse, posse. Ultimately from Proto-Germanic *bautaną (“to hit”), likely in part through Old French boce (“bump”). Compare German Posse, Dutch poets.

Noun

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puss n (definite singular pusset, indefinite plural puss, definite plural pussa)

  1. trick, prank

References

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Swedish

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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Disputed origin. Likely onomatopoeic.

Noun

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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.
    Alternative form: pözz (nonstandard, internet slang)
Declension
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Declension of puss
nominative genitive
singular indefinite puss puss
definite pussen pussens
plural indefinite pussar pussars
definite pussarna pussarnas
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Etymology 2

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Doublet of pussig, pusta, påse, pösa, and pysa. One theory is that it was borrowed from German Pfütze.

Noun

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puss c

  1. A puddle, a plash.
Declension
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Declension of puss
nominative genitive
singular indefinite puss puss
definite pussen pussens
plural indefinite pussar pussars
definite pussarna pussarnas
Derived terms
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Further reading

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  • “puss”, in Svenska Akademiens ordböcker [Dictionaries of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)
  • puss in Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (1st ed., 1922)

Anagrams

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