puss means A cat. It carries an Arena rating of 1464, earned across 6 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, puss ranks #600 of 17,080 for Funniest Words, #2,101 of 17,070 for Most Vivid Words, #2,868 of 17,073 for Most Whimsical Words, #4,624 of 17,075 for Words That Escaped Their Books.
puss is pronounced /pʊs/.
Why “puss” is a great word
A cat, especially as a term of endearment or familiar address. Probably from Middle Low German *pūse, pūskatte* or Dutch *poes* ("cat"), ultimately from a common Germanic word, perhaps imitative of a sound used to attract a cat. Unlike "feline," a word of cool taxonomy, or "kitty," one of uncomplicated endearment, "puss" carries the weight of hearth and history, a familiar wrapped in slight antiquity. It is the shadow brushing against your ankle in a dusky kitchen, the green-eyed sphinx curled in a pool of sunlight, the quiet companion of an old man on a porch. The word holds not just the animal, but the long, shared silence of its keeping.
Etymology
Probably from Middle Low German pūse, pūskatte or Dutch poes (“puss, cat”, also slang for “vulva”), ultimately from a common Germanic word for cat, perhaps ultimately imitative of a sound made to get its attention (compare Arabic بسة (bissa)).
Akin to West Frisian poes, Low German Puus, Puuskatte, Danish pus, dialectal Swedish kattepus, Norwegian pus.
Found also in several other European, North African and Asian languages; compare Romanian pisică, Persian پیشی (piši), Tamil பூசை (pūcai), Tagalog pusa
and Sardinian pisittu.
noun
- A cat.e.g.“Our local theatre is showing Puss in Boots.”
- A girl or young woman, or any child.
- A hare.
- The vulva (female genitalia).
- Sex with a woman.e.g.“So don't know! So, what are you gonna do? Sell your birthright for a little bit of puss?”
- A coward; a wuss; someone who is unable to stand up for themselves.
- The mouth.e.g.“Shut your puss before I shut it for you.”
- The face.e.g.“She gave him a slap in the puss.”
Words closest in meaning
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