puss

¹

[poos]

noun

1. a cat.

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

3. British.,  a hare.

puss

²

[poos]

noun

Slang.

1. face.

   She smacked him in the puss.

2. mouth.

   Shut your puss before I shut it for you.

puss

¹

/ 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

puss

²

/ pʊs /

noun

1. the face

2. a gloomy or sullen expression

Other Word Forms

• pusslike adjective

Word History and Origins

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of puss¹

C16: related to Middle Low German pūs, Dutch poes, Lithuanian puz

Origin of puss²

C17: from Irish pus