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. the face
2. a gloomy or sullen expression

puss

²

/ 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

Other Words From

• pusslike 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

C17: from Irish pus

Origin of puss²

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

Example Sentences

This suggests that when a pet plays with its leaves, both the plant and Puss will get an insect-repelling benefit.

From Science News For Students

Years go by and the family survive the pandemic, only to discover that they lack the extra nostrils and yellow puss developed by those exposed to the illness which are needed to re-enter the real world.

From Time

In other words, in his second term, President Obama needs to kick Richard Nixon right square in the puss.

From The Daily Beast

There also was no hesitation to get down and dirty again with Puss in Boots.

From The Daily Beast

On others, he will be the voice of the delightful animated cat in Puss in Boots, whom everyone loves from the Shrek movies.

From The Daily Beast

The Spanish star plays a sociopath in his cinematic reunion with Pedro Almodóvar—and a Casanova feline in Puss in Boots.

From The Daily Beast

Without warning, he reenacts a love scene from the beginning of the movie, using Puss's Castilian Spanish accent, and cracks up.

From The Daily Beast

And now naughty puss had run off, and she would come back, perhaps, with the new ribbon all rumpled and soiled.

From Project Gutenberg

Then more seriously, he added: I am afraid we shall have to wait until your birthday really comes round, Puss.

From Project Gutenberg

And pulling out her puss, she showed a sovrin, a good heap of silver, and an odd-looking little coin.

From Project Gutenberg

A young and active puss instantly seized it and ran away with her prize, with all the other cats after her.

From Project Gutenberg

Whether ‘Puss’ understood this speech or not, she had certainly settled the question in her own way, and very quickly.

From Project Gutenberg