pussy
1 Americannoun
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pussies
plural
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Informal. a cat, especially a kitten.
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Slang: Disparaging and Offensive. a timid, passive person, especially a man.
noun
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pussies
plural
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the vulva.
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sexual intercourse with a woman.
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Disparaging and Offensive. women collectively, regarded as sex objects.
adjective
noun
adjective
Usage
What else does pussy mean? Content warning: the following content includes references to offensive, sexual, and sexist language. Pussy is a pet name for a domestic cat, vulgar slang for the vagina, and a term of abuse for a coward.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of pussy1
First recorded in 1560–70; puss 1 + -y 2
Origin of pussy2
First recorded in 1690–1700; perhaps from Dutch poesje, a diminutive of poes “cat; vulva,” akin to Low German pūse “vulva,” Old English pusa “bag”; perhaps directly from pussy 1 ( def. ); see also purse
Origin of pussy3
Explanation
Pussy can be an affectionate term for a kitty-cat, a dirty word for a woman’s private parts, or an adjective that describes something that contains pus — that oozing yellow stuff that comes out of a cut. You might have heard your elderly neighbor refer to her cat as a "pussycat." And in her most tender moments, you might have heard her in the yard, saying, “Here, pussy-pussy.” That’s because pussy is another word for cat. It’s also a word for a woman’s genitals. Generally, it’s considered offensive when it refers to a woman’s body. It’s probably not a word you should say to your math teacher or your mother. Unless you’re talking about the neighbor’s cat.
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.
See Examples For:
“As women have found their voice politically, they have begun to express themselves sartorially,” Friedman wrote in 2017, “be it through white pantsuits, so-called pussy hats or the modest fashion movement.”
From Slate ● Dec. 14, 2024
“Fall is the perfect time to scavenge for materials to use in your décor — pampas grass, pine cones, acorns, bittersweet, pussy willows, branches of leaves, dried hydrangeas, and whatever else you can find.”
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 15, 2023
Since the anniversary fell on Palm Sunday, they also carried pussy willows and other tree branches, which is a Roman Catholic tradition on the Sunday before Easter.
From Washington Times ● Apr. 2, 2023
Claims she was deliberately trying to channel Thatcher grew even louder when she posed for a photograph in a white pussy bow collar of the kind favoured by the Iron Lady.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2022
She knew spring was coming, even if there was snow on the ground, when she saw pussy willow in the bowl.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
Five little pussies Sitting down to tea; Pretty little pussies, Happy as can be!
From Our Young Folks at Home and Abroad by Daphne Dale
The willow "pussies" have been out here two weeks.
From Harper's Young People, April 13, 1880 An Illustrated Weekly by Various
The alder tassels fluttered and danced in the spring breeze, while the smallest and shyest of the willow pussies crept from their little brown houses on the branches to grow in the sunshine.
From Among the Farmyard People by F.C. Gordon
The pleasantest room in the house was set apart for Beth, and in it was gathered everything that she most loved, flowers, pictures, her piano, the little worktable, and the beloved pussies.
From Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Nurse fed him; then, as the air was mild and the sun warm, she put on his coat and cap and carried him into the garden to watch the pussies at play.
From Two Little Travellers A Story for Girls by Frances Browne Arthur
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
