puss

¹ American  

[poos] / pʊs /

noun

1. a cat.

2. Informal. a girl or woman: often used as a form of affectionate address.

3. British. a hare.

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puss ² American  

[poos] / pʊs /

noun

Slang.

1. face.

   She smacked him in the puss.

2. mouth.

   Shut your puss before I shut it for you.

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puss ¹ British  

/ pʊs /

noun

1. an informal name for a cat 1 See also pussy 1

2. slang a girl or woman

3. an informal name for a hare

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puss ² British  

/ pʊs /

noun

1. the face

2. a gloomy or sullen expression

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Other Word Forms

• pusslike
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of puss¹

1520–30; akin to Dutch poes, Low German puus-katte, dialectal Swedish kattepus, Norwegian puse ( kat )

Origin of puss²

First recorded in 1880–85, puss is from the Irish word pus lip, mouth

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

puss

Here are four things to know about the purr-fect puss who over the years has charmed his way into the hearts of some of the world's top politicians.

From Barron's ● Feb. 15, 2026

It’s normal for Day to get reports of a few puss caterpillars a year, but he has already received about 20 inquiries — 10 times what he usually gets.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 10, 2020

This black puss, from Brightlingsea in Essex, is doing his best to stop owner Andy Clarke from working at home as an IT company director.

From BBC ● Apr. 5, 2020

Soon after, he experienced swelling, puss, and underlying green color.

From Fox News ● Jan. 30, 2020

Mam says he has the charm, and she tells me, There’s no use sending you with your long puss and your father’s odd manner.

From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt