definitions

pussyfoot

[ poos-ee-foot ]
/ ˈpʊs iˌfʊt /
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verb (used without object)

to go or move in a stealthy or cautious manner.
to act cautiously or timidly, as if afraid to commit oneself on a point at issue.

noun, plural puss·y·foots.

a person with a catlike, or soft and stealthy, tread.
Chiefly British. a teetotaler or prohibitionist.

RELATED WORDS

dodge, skulk, tergiversate, shuffle, glide, steal, avoid, sidestep, lurk, prowl, evade, sneak, slink, slide, slip, equivocate, hedge, tiptoe, skirt, prevaricate

Nearby words

pussy, pussy willow, pussy-toes, pussy-whip, pussycat, pussyfoot, pustulant, pustular, pustulate, pustulation, pustule

Origin of pussyfoot

An Americanism dating back to 1890–95; pussy1 + foot
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for pussyfoot

British Dictionary definitions for pussyfoot

pussyfoot

/ (ˈpʊsɪˌfʊt) informal /

verb (intr)

to move about stealthily or warily like a cat
to avoid committing oneself

noun plural -foots

a person who pussyfoots
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012