What does "puss" mean?
A cat.
Puss
/pʊs/ noun, slang
noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A cat.
- Grammar: puss is listed as noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: kitty, pussycat, alley cat, blue cat.
- Useful contrasts: dog.
- Usage evidence: Some men are born to good luck: all they do or try to do comes right—all that falls to them is so much gain—all their geese are swans—all their cards are trumps—toss them which way you will, they will always, like poor puss, alight upon their legs, and only move on so much the faster.
How to use "puss"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "puss" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "puss" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "puss" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "puss" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "puss" is acting as noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "kitty" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "puss", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A cat. countable, informal, often, term-of-address, uncountable
"Our local theatre is showing Puss in Boots."
- 2 The mouth. slang
"Shut your puss before I shut it for you."
- 3 Alternative spelling of pus. alt-of, alternative, uncountable
"It didn't move as much, and the same teary puss leaked from its eyes."
- 4 informal terms referring to a domestic cat wordnet
- 5 A girl or young woman, or any child. countable, dated, endearing, uncountable
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 The face. slang
"She gave him a slap in the puss."
- 7 obscene terms for female genitals wordnet
- 8 A hare. countable, dated, uncountable
"He then began to beat about, in the ſame Language, and in the ſame Manner, as if he had been beating for a Hare, and at laſt cried out, 'Soho! Puſs is not far off. Here's her Form, upon my Soul; I believe I may cry ſtole away.'"
- 9 The vulva (female genitalia). countable, slang, uncountable, vulgar
- 10 Sex with a woman. metonymically, slang, uncountable, vulgar
"So don't know! So, what are you gonna do? Sell your birthright for a little bit of puss?"
- 11 A coward; a wuss; someone who is unable to stand up for themselves. Canada, US, countable, slang, uncountable, vulgar
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Some men are born to good luck: all they do or try to do comes right—all that falls to them is so much gain—all their geese are swans—all their cards are trumps—toss them which way you will, they will always, like poor puss, alight upon their legs, and only move on so much the faster."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "puss"?
Common synonyms include: kitty, pussycat, alley cat, blue cat, bud, calico cat.
How do you use "puss" in a sentence?
Some men are born to good luck: all they do or try to do comes right—all that falls to them is so much gain—all their geese are swans—all their cards are trumps—toss them which way you will, they will always, like poor puss, alight upon their legs, and only move on so much the faster.
How do you pronounce "puss"?
Pronounced /pʊs/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
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.
Etymology 2
Of Celtic origin, from or akin to Irish pus (“mouth, lip”), from Middle Irish bus. Compare also Middle Low German pussen (“to kiss”), Middle High German bussen (“to kiss”).