pussy
1 Americannoun
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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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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.
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.
During one of these arrests in December 2021, Shtein, along with another Pussy Riot member Maria Alyokhina, went on hunger strike.
From Reuters • Nov. 7, 2023
This video work reprises a recent stage performance by the art collective Pussy Riot and opens the largest presentation of the group’s work to date, the first in a major museum.
From New York Times • Oct. 6, 2023
Pussy Riot lead singer Nadya Tolokonnikova has earned that designation with the band’s radical feminist protests, often in opposition to President Vladimir Putin.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 1, 2023
In the past, the event has hosted artists including Alice Glass, Pussy Riot, Noah Cyrus and Pabllo Vittar.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2023
Then Pussy would roll about on the floor with it, but never did she find a mouse inside it.
From A Winter Nosegay Being Tales for Children at Christmastide by Crane, Walter
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.
