Kootchy

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. A provocative, suggestive belly-dance style performed in burlesque and carnival shows ; crude slang referring to the female genitals
2. A sensual, sexually suggestive dance popular in carnival sideshows ; a vulgar colloquial term for the female sex organs
3. An erotic dance style associated with carnival and burlesque entertainment ; an offensive informal word for the external female genitalia

Etymology: "Kootchy" belongs to American carnival and sideshow slang, where it named a suggestive dance performed to draw paying crowds. Its exact origin is uncertain. It is closely tied to the variants "hoochie-coochie" and "kootch," and to "coochie," a slang term for the female genitals, which is why the dance was advertised with such insinuation. As an adjective, the word describes anything in that provocative, showy style. Its meaning stayed tied to the fairground rather than to the wider world of dance, so its sense is narrower than its sound might suggest.