puss

Meaning

1. (countable, informal, often, term-of-address, uncountable) A cat.
2. (countable, dated, endearing, uncountable) A girl or young woman, or any child.
3. (countable, dated, uncountable) A hare.
4. (countable, slang, uncountable, vulgar) The vulva (female genitalia).
5. (metonymically, slang, uncountable, vulgar) Sex with a woman.
6. (Canada, US, countable, slang, uncountable, vulgar) A coward; a wuss; someone who is unable to stand up for themselves.

Synonyms

pussy

😺

kitty

kitty-cat

pussycat

cat

😺

pussy-cat

kitten

snatch

cunt

twat

slit

kisser

mug

face

kittie

domestic cat

😺

mouser

party

🥳

person

🧑‍🦱

personage

role

visage

Translations

minou

gato

😺

micio

😺

minet

surat

almeja

fica

😺

chatte

chat

😺

con

Miezchen

gatito

Möse

Mieze

😺

Pronounced as (IPA)

/pʊs/

Etymology

Cognate with Western Frisian: poes

Cognate with Low German: Puus

Cognate with Danish: pus

Cognate with Swedish: kattepus

Cognate with Norwegian: pus

Cognate with Romanian: pisică

Cognate with Persian: پیشی

Cognate with Tamil: பூசை

Cognate with Tagalog: pusa

Cognate with Sardinian: pisittu

In summary

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.