pussy

English

Etymology 1

From puss +‎ -y.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈpʊsɪ/
• (General American) enPR: po͝osʹi, IPA^(key): /ˈpʊsi/

• Audio (US, Northern California)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʊsi
• Hyphenation: pus‧sy

Noun

pussy (plural pussies)

1. (informal) An affectionate term for a cat. [from 17th c.]
   • 2007, Liz Jones, "Are cats the new dogs?", The Independent, 17 Nov 07:

     And although, as someone recently said to me, they are not "designer" (she had expected my pussies to be expensive, with a pedigree), to me my cats are the most beautiful in the world.

2. (colloquial, now rare) An affectionate term for a woman or girl, seen as having characteristics associated with cats such as sweetness. [from 16th c.]
   • 2010, Jojo Moyes, "Why love letters are better left unread", The Telegraph, 3 Jun 2010:

     If Lloyd George’s endearments to mistress Frances Stevenson – “My darling Pussy. You might phone… on Friday if you can come. Don’t let Hankey see you” – had been made similarly public, would he have maintained his own reputation as a towering statesman?

3. (vulgar, slang) The female genitalia; the vulva and/or vagina. [from 17th c.]

   You have a lovely pussy!

4. Anything soft and furry; a bloom form, or catkin, as on the pussy willow. [from 19th c.]
5. (vulgar, slang, uncountable) Sexual intercourse with a woman. [from 20th c.]

   I’m gonna get me some pussy tonight.

6. (derogatory, vulgar, slang, chiefly Canada, US) A coward; a weakling. [from 20th c.]

   You're such a pussy!

   • 2007, Matt Keating, "Do everyone a favour and don't bring your cold to work", The Guardian, 26 Nov 07:

     I couldn't carry the burden of shame engendered by the bully-boy advertising of "max-strength" cold and flu remedies, the obvious subtext of which is "Get to work, you pussy."

7. (dated) A game of tip-cat.

Synonyms

• (cat): kitty, kitty-cat, puss, pussy-cat
• (vagina): See Thesaurus:vagina
• (uncountable: intercourse with woman): poontang, poon, tang, punani
• (coward): scaredy-cat, wimp, wuss, pansy, sissy, weenie, weakling

Hypernyms

• (female genitalia): genitals

Derived terms

Derived terms

• eat pussy
• pussycat
• pussy control
• pussy bow
• pussyfoot
• pussyfication
• pussy hat

• pussy out
• pussy posse
• pussy power
• pussytoes
• pussywhipped
• pussy willow

Translations

affectionate term for a girl or woman

• Finnish: misu (fi), mirri (fi)
• French: minette (fr) f
• Georgian: ფისო (piso), ფისუნა (pisuna), ფისუნია (pisunia)

• Italian: gattina (it) f, micetta f, gnocca (it) f, fica (it) f, bambola (it) f, bimba (it) f
• Russian: ко́шечка (ru) f (kóšečka), ки́са (ru) f (kísa), цы́почка (ru) f (cýpočka), тёлочка (ru) f (tjóločka)
• Spanish: gatita (es) f, nenita f, lolita (es) f, chiquita (es) f

informal: affectionate term for a cat

• Albanian: mace (sq)
• Armenian: փիսո (hy) (pʿiso), փիսիկ (hy) (pʿisik)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 貓 (zh), 猫 (zh) (māo), 貓咪 (zh), 猫咪 (zh) (māomī)

• Czech: kočička (cs) f, micka f, čičinka (cs) f
• Danish: mis (da), missekat (da)
• Dutch: poes (nl) f
• Esperanto: kaĉjo (eo), kanjo (eo)
• Estonian: kiisu (et), miisu
• Finnish: kisu (fi), kissimirri (fi), mirri (fi)
• French: minou (fr) m, minet (fr) m, chaton (fr) m
• Georgian: ციცუნია (cicunia), ფისო (piso), ფისუნია (pisunia)
• German: Kätzchen (de) n, Mieze (de) f, Pantoffeltiger m (humorous)
• Greek: ψιψίνα (el) f (psipsína), γατούλα (el) f (gatoúla), γατάκι (el) n (gatáki)
• Hungarian: cica (hu), cicus
• Icelandic: kisa (is) f, kisi m
• Ido: katyuno (io)
• Italian: micio (it) m

• Japanese: ねこちゃん (nekochan), にゃんにゃん (nyan nyan), にゃんこ (nyanko), 小猫 (こねこ, koneko)
• Korean: 고양이 (ko) (goyang-i)
• Macedonian: мачка f (mačka), маче n (mače)
• Maltese: pejxu
• Norwegian: pus (no) m, kattepus m, pusekatt (no) m
• Persian: پیشی‎‎ (fa) (piši), پیشی‎‎ (fa) (pishi)
• Polish: kiciuś (pl) m, kicia (pl) f
• Portuguese: chaninho m, bichana (pt) f
• Romanian: pisică (ro) f
• Russian: ко́тик (ru) m (kótik), ко́шечка (ru) f (kóšečka), ки́са (ru) f (kísa), ки́ска (ru) f (kíska)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: мачкица f, маца f, цица f, цица-маца f, маче n

  Roman: mačkica (sh) f, maca (sh) f, cica (sh) f, cica-maca f, mače (sh) n

• Slovak: cica (sk) f, micka f
• Spanish: cuchito m, gata (es) f , minino (es) m
• Swedish: kisse (sv) c, pisse c, misse (sv) c
• Tagalog: kuting (tl)
• Turkish: kedi (tr), (archaic) pisi pisi (tr)

slang: female genitalia

• Albanian: pidhi, pidhuci, (formal) vagina, (vulgar) piçkë f
• Arabic: كِس‎‎ (ar) m (kis), كُس‎‎ (ar) m (kus)

  Egyptian Arabic: كس‎‎ m (kuss)

  Moroccan Arabic: طَبُون‎‎ m (taboun)

• Armenian: (vulgar) պուց (pucʿ)
• Azerbaijani: amcıq, am
• Belarusian: (extremely vulgar) пізда́ f (pizdá)
• Bulgarian: (extremely vulgar) пу́тка f (pútka)
• Catalan: cony (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 屄 (zh) (bī)

  Min Nan: 芝屄 (chi-bai), 膣屄 (zh-min-nan) (chi-bai)

• Czech: piča (cs), kunda (cs), pizda (cs) f
• Danish: kusse (da), fisse (da) (vulgar), tissekone (childish)
• Dutch: kut (nl) f, poes (nl) f, kutje (nl), poesje (nl)
• Esperanto: piĉo (eo)
• Estonian: vitt (et), tuss, tussu, puts
• Faroese: kunta f, lall n, pill n, grolla f, kusa f, piska f
• Finnish: pillu (fi), tussu (fi) (vulgar), pimppi (fi) (childish)
• French: chatte (fr) f, minou (fr) m, (Quebec) noune (fr) f, foufoune (fr) f, plotte (fr) f
• Georgian: მუტელი (muṭeli), ტუტულა (ṭuṭula), ტუტულები (ṭuṭulebi), ფუჩური (pučuri)
• German: Fotze (de) f, Möse (de) f, Muschi (de) f
• Greek: μουνί (el) n (mouní), μουνάκι (el) n (mounáki)

  Ancient Greek: χοῖρος m (khoîros)

• Greenlandic: utsuk
• Hebrew: כוס‎‎ (he) m (kus)
• Hindi: चूत (hi) f (cūt)
• Hungarian: punci (hu), pina (hu)
• Icelandic: píka (is) f, kunta (is) f, (childish) pjalla f, (slang) pussa, (slang) vagína f
• Indonesian: memek (id)
• Italian: fica (it) f, figa (it) f, mona (it) f, passera (it) f, patata (it) f, topa (it) f, fregna (it) f, fessa f
• Japanese: まんこ (ja) (manko), おまんこ (omanko)
• Kazakh: ам (kk) (am)

• Khmer: កណ្ដួយ (km) (kɑnduəy)
• Korean: 보지 (ko) (boji), 씹 (ko) (ssip)
• Latvian: peža f
• Lithuanian: putė, pyzda (lt) f
• Lombard: figa f, pòta f
• Macedonian: пичка f (pička), минџа f (mindža), слива f (sliva)
• Malay: puki
• Maltese: għoxx, pastizz, paċċu
• Neapolitan: pucchiacca f, purchiacca f, féssa f, pesécchia f, 'ntacca f
• Northern Sami: cinˈná (neutral), cinˈni (childish)
• Norwegian: fitte (no) c, kuse (no) c, mus (no) c
• Persian: کس‎‎ (fa) (kos)
• Polish: cipa (pl) f, pizda (pl) f, cipsko n
• Portuguese: boceta (pt) f, buceta (pt) f, xana (pt) f, xoxota (pt) f, xavasca f, rata (pt) f, periquita (pt) f, cona (pt) f (slang), parreco (pt) m (slang)
• Romanian: pizdă (ro) f, păsărică f
• Russian: (extremely vulgar) пизда́ (ru) f (pizdá), манда́ (ru) f (mandá), (mildly vulgar or childish) пи́ська (ru) f (písʹka), пи́ся (ru) f (písja), (euphemistic) ки́ска (ru) f (kíska)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: пичкица f, пица f, рибица f, мачкица f, пичка f, пизда f, минџа f, риба f, ђана f

  Roman: pičkica (sh) f, pica (sh) f, ribica (sh) f, mačkica (sh) f, pička (sh) f, pizda (sh) f, mindža (sh) f, riba (sh) f, đana f

• Sicilian: pacchiu (scn) m, sticchiu (scn) m
• Slovak: piča f, kunda f, pizda f
• Slovene: pička f, pizda (sl) f
• Sotho: nyoana (Lesotho), nywana (South Africa)
• Spanish: (all of these words are vulgar usage) bollo (es) f (Cuba, Venezuela), chucha (es) f (Peru), cocho (es) f (Bolivia), concha (es) f (Argentina, Chile, Paraguay), coño (es) m (Spain), cuca (es) f (Venezuela), panocha (es) f (Mexico), punta (es), raja (es) f, choro (es) f, concha (es) f
• Swedish: fitta (sv) c, mutta (sv) c, (vulgar), snippa (sv) c (childish)
• Tagalog: puday, puke
• Tamil: koodhi (koodhi)
• Tsonga: xitombo
• Turkish: am (tr), amcık (tr)
• Udmurt: пирог (pirog)
• Ukrainian: (extremely vulgar) пизда́ f (pyzdá), манда́ f (mandá), (mildly vulgar or childish) пі́ська f (písʹka), табака f (tabaka)
• Urdu: چوت‎‎ (ur) f (cūt)
• Vietnamese: lồn (vi)

anything soft and furry

• Finnish: pörrö
• Italian: peloso (it) m

• Spanish: peludito m

vulgar: sexual intercourse with a woman

• Finnish: pillu (fi)

• Spanish: pescar (es), culear (es), chingar (es), follar (es), coger (es), fornicar (es), tirar (es)

informal: coward

• Armenian: քած (hy) (kʿac)
• Danish: tøsedreng
• Dutch: (zacht) ei(tje), slapjanus (nl), watje (nl)
• Finnish: nynny
• French: poltron (fr) m, froussard (fr) m, mauviette (fr) f
• Georgian: მშიშარა (mšišara), ჩმორი (čmori), ფახისტი (paxisṭi), ქვეშაჯვია (kvešaǯvia), ლაჩარი (lačari)
• German: Weichei (de) n, Warmduscher (de) m, Lusche (de) f
• Greek: χέστης (el) m (chéstis), χεζάς (el) m (chezás), χεζού (el) f (chezoú)
• Italian: mammoletta f, femminuccia (it) f, coniglio (it), pollo (it), mollusco (it), merlo (it), eunuco (it), ricchione (it), finocchio (it), frocio (it), pappamolle, rammollito (it), pusillanime (it), codardo (it), vigliacco (it), smidollato (it), fifone (it), debole (it), checca (it), pisciasotto (it), cacasotto (it), vile (it)
• Japanese: 怖がり (こわがり, kowagari), 怖がり屋 (こわがりや, kowagariya), 腰抜け (こしぬけ, koshinuke)

• Macedonian: пичка f (pička)
• Navajo: tsxaʼii
• Norwegian: pyse c, kylling (no) m, jente (no) f
• Portuguese: covarde (pt) m, frango (pt) m, maricas (pt) m, mulherzinha (pt) m
• Russian: труси́шка (ru) m, f (trusíška), трус (ru) m (trus), труси́ха (ru) f (trusíxa) (female), ссыку́н (ru) m (ssykún) (vulgar), бздун (ru) m (bzdun) (vulgar), дрищ (ru) (drišč)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: пичкица f, пичка f, пизда f

  Roman: pičkica (sh) f, pička (sh) f, pizda (sh) f

• Spanish: mujersita m, maricón (es) m, mamón (es) m, puto (es) m, cagón (es) m, cagado (es) m, niñita (es) m
• Swedish: mes (sv) c

Etymology 2

From pus +‎ -y.

Pronunciation

• enPR: pŭs'i, IPA^(key): /ˈpʌsi/

• Audio (US, Northern California)

  (file)

Adjective

pussy (comparative pussier, superlative pussiest)

1. (medicine) Containing pus.

Synonyms

• purulent

Translations

containing pus

• Dutch: etterig (nl), purulent (nl)
• Finnish: märkäinen, märkivä (fi)
• French: purulent (fr)
• Georgian: ჩირქიანი (čirkiani), დაჩირქებული (dačirkebuli)
• German: eitrig (de)
• Greek: πυώδης (el) m (pyódis)
• Indonesian: bernanah (id)
• Italian: purulento (it)

• Macedonian: гноен m (gnoen), загноен m (zagnoen)
• Norwegian: pussfylt
• Polish: ropny (pl)
• Portuguese: purulento (pt)
• Romanian: purulent (ro), supurant (ro)
• Russian: гно́йный (ru) (gnójnyj)
• Spanish: purulento
• Swedish: varig

Etymology 3

Adjective

pussy (comparative more pussy, superlative most pussy)

1. (slang, dated) Alternative form of pursy

Further reading

• pussy at OneLook Dictionary Search

References

• pussy in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913