puss
1 Americannoun
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a cat.
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Informal. a girl or woman: often used as a form of affectionate address.
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British. a hare.
noun
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face.
She smacked him in the puss.
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mouth.
Shut your puss before I shut it for you.
noun
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the face
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a gloomy or sullen expression
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Unfortunately, it looks like O'Puss' time in the sun has come to an end.
From Fox News
Or they can become orphans when their parent companies die: former household names that are currently looking for a new guardian include Hidden Magic hairspray, Climax ginger ale and Puss’n Boots cat food.
From Economist
Puss'll be a-puttin' on biskits for supper before we git thar if we don't push on.
From Project Gutenberg
Many's the time that chile 'ud foller me up an' say, 'Pap, ef you see my shawl a-haugin' out on the fence, Puss'll be asleep, an' don't you come a-lumberin' in an' wake her up, nuther.'
From Project Gutenberg
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.