puss

== English == === Pronunciation === (cat, woman, vulva; mouth, face): enPR: po͝os, IPA(key): /pʊs/ (Scotland, Northern Ireland) IPA(key): /pʉs/ Rhymes: -ʊs Homophone: pus (without the foot-strut split) === Etymology 1 === 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 ==== puss (countable and uncountable, plural pusses) (informal, often as a term of address) A cat. (dated, endearing) A girl or young woman, or any child. (dated, hunting) A hare. (vulgar, slang) The vulva (female genitalia). (uncountable, vulgar, slang, metonymic) Sex with a woman. (vulgar, slang, chiefly Canada, US) A coward; a wuss; someone who is unable to stand up for themselves. ===== Synonyms ===== (cat): moggie/moggy ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Related terms ===== pussy === Etymology 2 === 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 ==== puss (plural pusses) (slang) The mouth. (slang) The face. ===== Synonyms ===== (mouth): cakehole, gob, mush, trap ===== Derived terms ===== sourpuss === Etymology 3 === ==== Noun ==== puss (uncountable) 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 === James A. H. Murray et al., editors (1884–1928), “Puss”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), London: Clarendon Press, →OCLC. === Anagrams === PSUs, USPS, USPs, sups, susp == 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 === From Latin pus. ==== Noun ==== puss m or n (definite singular pussen or pusset) (pathology) pus (yellowish fluid from infected tissue) Synonym: verk === Etymology 3 === 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 ==== puss n (definite singular pusset, indefinite plural puss, definite plural pussa or pussene) trick, prank ==== 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 === From Latin pus. ==== Noun ==== puss m or n (definite singular pussen or pusset) (pathology) pus (yellowish fluid from infected tissue) === Etymology 3 === 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 ==== puss n (definite singular pusset, indefinite plural puss, definite plural pussa) trick, prank ==== References ==== “puss” in The Nynorsk Dictionary. == Swedish == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /pɵs/ === Etymology 1 === Disputed origin. Likely onomatopoeic. ==== 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. Alternative form: pözz (nonstandard, internet slang) ===== Declension ===== ===== Related terms ===== pussa kyss === Etymology 2 === Doublet of pussig, pusta, påse, pösa, and pysa. One theory is that it was borrowed from German Pfütze. ==== Noun ==== puss c A puddle, a plash. ===== Declension ===== ===== Derived terms ===== vattenpuss === Further reading === “puss”, in Svenska Akademiens ordböcker [Dictionaries of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish) puss in Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (1st ed., 1922) === Anagrams === sups