pussy
1 Americannoun
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pussies
plural
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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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pussies
plural
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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.
See Examples For:
“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
Probably the best-known catkin showoff — beloved by bees, gardeners and flower arrangers — is the Japanese pink pussy willow Mt.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 6, 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
And look at what M3gan wears: an inverted-pleat shift, accessorized with a statement pussy bow worn over a long-sleeve striped Beatnik top.
From New York Times ● Jan. 19, 2023
She knew spring was coming, even if there was snow on the ground, when she saw pussy willow in the bowl.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
But willows grow all around the ponds where you skate, and you will never see the bare twigs without wondering how soon you can write and tell us the downy "pussies" have appeared.
From Harper's Young People, January 6, 1880 An Illustrated Weekly by Various
At nearly all the shows—at all events at all the great shows—Mr Sillet, the well-known naturalist of Southampton, has the arrangement of the pens or cages for the pussies.
From The Domestic Cat by Gordon Stables
The pleasantest room in the house was set apart for Beth, and in it was gathered everything that she most loved,—flowers, pictures, her piano, the little work-table, and the beloved pussies.
From Little Women or Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy by Louisa May Alcott
The cats were borrowed: big cats and little cats, sleepy old pussies and lively young kits, gray cats, white cats, and "cherry-colored cats," as the placard read.
From Harper's Young People, December 9, 1879 An Illustrated Weekly by Various
One of the fat pussies jumped on her lap and purred.
From The Tin Soldier by Temple Bailey
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.
