Definition

1. Noun:

   • Informal term for a cat: A familiar or affectionate, though sometimes condescending, name for a domestic cat.
   • Vulgar slang for the female external genitals: An obscene and offensive term for the vulva or vagina.

2. Adjective:

   • Containing pus: Describing something, typically a wound or discharge, that is full of or resembling pus (a thick yellowish or greenish opaque liquid produced in infected tissue).

Usage and Examples

• Noun (cat):

  • Come here, pussy! I have some milk for you.
  • She has a lovely little pussy that follows her everywhere.

• Noun (vulgar slang):

  • ⚠️ Warning: This term is highly offensive and vulgar. It is strongly advised to avoid using it in polite or formal conversation.

• Adjective:

  • The doctor cleaned the pussy wound carefully.
  • A pussy discharge is a sign of infection.

Advanced Usage and Notes

• Register and Appropriateness: The noun form meaning "cat" is informal and can be perceived as childish or overly sentimental. The slang meaning is deeply offensive and should be avoided entirely in standard communication. The adjective form is clinical and specific to medical contexts.
• Etymology Note: The adjective "pussy" (full of pus) and the noun "pussy" (cat) have different origins. The vulgar slang term is etymologically related to the word for "cat," drawing a metaphorical association.

Variants and Related Words

• Pussycat (n): An alternative, slightly more endearing informal term for a cat.
  • Don't be scared, he's a real pussycat.
• Pus (n): The thick fluid associated with infections.
  • The abscess was draining pus.

Synonyms

• For "cat" (noun): Kitty, feline, moggy (BrE informal).
• For "containing pus" (adjective): Purulent, suppurating.
• ⚠️ For the vulgar slang term: No polite synonyms are exact equivalents. Clinical terms are "vulva" or "vagina." Inoffensive informal terms (like "down there") are highly context-dependent.

Idioms and Phrases

• Pussyfoot (around) (v): To act in a cautious, timid, or non-committal way; to avoid making a definite decision or statement.
  • Stop pussyfooting around and tell me what you really think.
  • The government has been pussyfooting on this issue for months.
  • Note: This idiom derives from the quiet, careful tread of a cat, not from the vulgar slang term.

Adjective

1. containing pus
   • a purulent wound

Noun

1. informal terms referring to a domestic cat
2. obscene terms for female genitals