noun
Meaning 1
A teetotaller.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dated
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
pussyfoot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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UK: /ˈpʊs.iˌfʊt/
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Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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CMU ARPABET: P UH1 S IY0 F UH1 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
verb
Meaning 2
To move silently, stealthily, or furtively.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 3
To act timidly or cautiously.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 4
To use euphemistic language or circumlocution.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: pollyfox
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 5
to go stealthily or furtively
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- ..stead of sneaking around spying on the neighbor's house
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: sneak, mouse, creep
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: walk
History
Etymology
From pussy (“feline”) + foot; because of the light and careful tread of cats.
Across languages
Translations
35 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Bulgarian: промъквам се тихо (promǎkvam se tiho) — to move silently
- Czech: opatrně našlapovat — to move silently
- Dutch: sluipen — to move silently
- Dutch: trippelen — to move silently
- Faroese: smeita — to move silently
- Finnish: hiipiä — to move silently
- Finnish: hipsutella — to move silently
- Finnish: hipsiä — to move silently
- German: trippeln — to move silently
- German: auf Zehenspitzen gehen — to move silently
- German: schleichen — to move silently
- German: herumschleichen — to move silently
- German: leisetreten — to move silently
- Swedish: tassa — to move silently
- Swedish: smyga — to move silently
- Swedish: trippa — to move silently
- Bulgarian: действам предпазливо (dejstvam predpazlivo) — to act timidly
- Czech: jednat příliš opatrně — to act timidly
- Dutch: treuzelen — to act timidly
- Finnish: arastella — to act timidly
- Finnish: hissutella — to act timidly
- German: um den heißen Brei schleichen — to act timidly
- German: leisetreten — to act timidly
- Norwegian: gå på gummisåler — to act timidly
- Swedish: fega — to act timidly
- Swedish: fjompa — to act timidly
- Dutch: schoonspreken — to use euphemistic language
- Finnish: sievistellä — to use euphemistic language
- Finnish: hyssytellä — to use euphemistic language
- German: um den heißen Brei herumreden — to use euphemistic language
- Norwegian: gå på gummisåler — to use euphemistic language
- Norwegian: skjønnmale — to use euphemistic language
- Swedish: skönmåla — to use euphemistic language
- Swedish: omskriva — to use euphemistic language
- Swedish: omformulera — to use euphemistic language