puss

Etymology 1

Probably from Middle Low German pūs, pūskatte or Dutch poes (“puss, cat”, 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.

noun

1. (informal, often as a term of address) A cat.
   Our local theatre is showing Puss in Boots.
   Come here, puss! I've got some milk for you.
2. (dated, endearing) A girl or young woman, or any child.
3. (dated, hunting) A hare.
   'It won't kill Puss any better for that.' 'But, goodness gracious, what can that hare be made of?' I asked. 1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 77
4. (vulgar, slang) The vulva (female genitalia).
5. (uncountable, vulgar, slang, metonymically) Sex with a woman.
   So don't know! So, what are you gonna do? Sell your birthright for a little bit of puss? 1986, Tim Kazurinsky, Denise DeClue, About Last Night, spoken by Bernie (Jim Belushi)
6. (vulgar, slang, chiefly Canada, US) A coward; a wuss; someone who is unable to stand up for themself.

Etymology 2

Of Celtic origin, from or akin to Irish pus (“mouth, lip”), from Middle Irish bus.

noun

1. (slang) The mouth.
   Shut your puss before I shut it for you.
   Hubbert has a rasping voice and a razory laugh, and he's busy and theatrical in the worst way — a noisy performing pro with whirlwind arms and a saturnine puss. 1991, New York Magazine, volume 24, number 21, page 62
2. (slang) The face.
   She gave him a slap in the puss.

Etymology 3

noun

1. Alternative spelling of pus
   It didn't move as much, and the same teary puss leaked from its eyes. 2010 Alien Purgatory page 40
   People called him Puss Head because if you crossed him, he went to great lengths to make sure that before you died, puss leaked from your head. 2012 Southern Supposition page 132
   Puss leaked out from beneath white gauze on his back and trickled down his spine. 2016 When Crickets Cry page 267