arse
Americannoun
noun
-
the buttocks
-
the anus
-
a stupid person; fool
-
sexual intercourse
-
effrontery; cheek
-
to start to do something seriously and quickly
Sensitive Note
In American English, ass in the senses "the buttocks; the rectum" is considered to be a vulgar, impolite usage. The variant arse , which is chiefly British and regarded as vulgar by speakers of British English, seems to some American speakers to be a less vulgar, even daintier term than the more explicit ass . But this may not always be the case in America, so one should be just as cautious about using arse when in a polite setting.
Usage
Dating back at least a thousand years, and taboo till around the middle of the 20th century, this venerable ``Anglo-Saxon'' word now seems unlikely to cause offence in all but the most formal contexts. Its acceptability has possibly been helped by such useful verb formations as ``to arse about'' and ``I can't be arsed''
Etymology
Origin of arse
First recorded before 1000; Middle English ars, er(e)s, Old English ærs, ears; cognate with Old Frisian ers, Dutch aars, Old Norse, Middle Low German, Old Saxon, Old High German ars ( German Arsch ), Greek órrhos “rump” (from orso-, which occurs in compounds), Armenian or̄kh, Hittite arras; akin to Greek ourá and Old Irish err “tail.” All of the nouns derive from the Proto-Indo-European root ers-, ors- “backside, buttocks, tail.” Cf. ass 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
One of the oldest tourist attractions is the Devil's Arse - one of four caves in Castleton that are accessible to the public.
From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026
Comedian John Shuttleworth was halfway through the show at Peak Cavern, known as the "Devil's Arse", at Castleton on Thursday when the alarm was raised.
From BBC • May 20, 2022
The discovery of a mixtape entitled Falling on Your Arse in 1999 by Tommy No 1 and Eddie Too Tall has shocked people for how little it sucks.
From The Guardian • Jan. 22, 2018
Arse comes from the Old English “aers,” related to Dutch and German words.
From New York Times • Oct. 31, 2016
Like Molotov, he is often called "Iron Arse" for spending long hours at his desk.
From Reuters • May 15, 2013
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
