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.
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.
One of them was very demure and mindful - think soft pastels, pussy bow blouses and pleats - as demonstrated by Chanel and Balenciaga.
From BBC • Dec. 31, 2024
“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
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
There is something restrained about it, too; less controversial or optimistic than pussy hats or “The Future Is Female” shirts, which were both accused of being exclusionary, and were eventually ridiculed.
From New York Times • May 11, 2022
And when there were no flowers, it held a leaf arrangement, a gathering of twigs and berries, pussy willow, Scotch pine.
From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison
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.
