Basic Guidelines For English Spellings
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noun
informal mainly British1An affectionate term for a cat.
- ‘dangly baubles can be too tantalizing for even the best behaved pusses’
- ‘While licking its claws, puss leaves a collection of the organism there, which in turn becomes yours when the cat scratches you.’
- ‘I sat next to puss on the couch again but Sam never left the door.’
- ‘This does not amuse either puss who associate feathered birds with fair game and dinner.’
- ‘Catfights also cause nasty abscesses that result in pain and trips to the vet for puss.’
- ‘Even the mildest mannered little pooch or the purrfect pet puss will bite and scratch savagely when injured.’
- ‘‘Ah, there you are, puss,’ the gentleman said in a pinched voice, his attention on Croft.’
- ‘A pretty puss Sophie came second in a beautiful pet competition - despite being dead.’
feline2A playful or coquettish girl or young woman.
- ‘you are an impudent puss, Miss Alice’
- ‘All the better for hearing that you're safe and well, puss.’
- ‘What made you think there's an intruder, puss?’
- ‘‘Don't get all huffy, puss,’ Louis said gently.’
- ‘‘Don't worry, puss,’ he said, heading out of the room.’
- ‘‘You're getting me into trouble, puss,’ Louis would say reproachfully.’
Pronunciation
Origin
Early 16th century probably from Middle Low German pūs (also pūskatte) or Dutch poes, of unknown origin.
noun
Irish, ScottishA person's face or mouth.
‘they hush up with little smiles on their pusses’- ‘look at the long puss on him—you'd think he'd be happy for his brother’
- ‘There was nothing more exasperating than the snug puss of my Dublin work colleague as he entered the office the morning after.’
- ‘He had a right puss on him when he lifted it down off the stool.’
- ‘Everybody says she always had a puss on her face, and I always smiled.’
- ‘In any case, after looking at his smug puss for an hour or so, I'm far more likely to pass on the son and vote for the parents.’
- ‘As for Specter - we're sick to death of seeing his puss.’
face, features, physiognomy, profile
Pronunciation
Origin
Mid 19th century from Irish pus ‘lip, mouth’.
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