Definition

Noun: 1. Skunk: A North American mammal (family Mephitidae) known for its black and white fur and its ability to spray a liquid with an extremely strong, unpleasant smell as a defense mechanism when threatened or startled. The term "wood pussy" is a regional, informal, and somewhat archaic name for this animal.

Usage Notes

• The term "wood pussy" is informal, colloquial, and primarily used in specific regional dialects of American English. It is considered a less common and more folksy synonym for "skunk."
• It is important to understand this term in context, as it is not standard in formal or scientific writing. The standard and widely understood term is "skunk."

Examples

• Noun:
  • If you startle a wood pussy, you'll regret it because of the terrible smell.
  • My grandfather always called skunks "wood pussies" when he told stories about his childhood on the farm.
  • We saw a wood pussy waddling across the old logging road at dusk.

Advanced Usage

• The term is an example of regional American vernacular, often found in older literature, folklore, or in the speech of rural communities. Its use today might be intended to sound rustic or humorous.

Variants and Related Words

• Skunk (n): The standard and most common term for the animal.
• Polecat (n): In North America, this is another informal regional name for a skunk. (In Europe, "polecat" refers to a different, related animal).
• Mephitidae (n): The biological family name for skunks.

Synonyms

• Skunk
• Polecat (North American informal usage)

Related Idioms or Phrases

• "To smell like a wood pussy/skunk": To smell very bad.
  • After the spray hit him, he smelled like a wood pussy for days.
• "Drunk as a skunk": A common idiom meaning very intoxicated. (Note: This idiom uses the standard term "skunk," not "wood pussy").

Noun

1. American musteline mammal typically ejecting an intensely malodorous fluid when startled; in some classifications put in a separate subfamily Mephitinae