Puss

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /pʊs/

Definitions

1. A colloquial expression frequently referring to a cat or kitten, it may also describe soft fabrics or materials, and carries implications of cowardice or fear in specific scenarios
2. This informal term commonly denotes a young feline, while also alluding to the softness of certain textiles, and suggesting timidity or weakness in various contexts
3. A familiar expression that typically signifies a young cat, it can also reference gentle fabrics and imply a sense of weakness or fear in particular situations

Etymology: The origin of "puss" is genuinely uncertain, and the leading theories are mostly sound-based guesses. One suggestion is that it comes from a Germanic word for cat, possibly imitating the sound people made to call one over. Similar-sounding words for cat turn up across Europe, North Africa and Asia, including Romanian "pisică", Persian "piši" and Tagalog "pusa", which suggests a sound-imitative form spread widely and independently. The English word itself is probably borrowed from Middle Low German "pûse" or Dutch "poes", both meaning cat. A more surprising theory links the word to Celtic. Irish "pus" means "mouth" or "lip", and German words for kissing, "pussen" and "bussen", resemble it. Whether a cat's name grew out of a word for lips, or whether the sounds are coincidental, cannot be settled from the evidence.

Synonyms: cat, feline, kitten, kitty, tomcat

Antonyms: dog, canine, INVALID, INVALID, INVALID