cuss

[kuhs] /kʌs/
verb (used without object)
1.
to use profanity; curse; swear.
verb (used with object)
2.
to swear at; curse:
He cussed the pedestrian for getting in his way.
3.
to criticize or reprimand in harsh terms (often followed by out):
The coach cussed out the team for losing.
noun
4.
curse word; oath.
5.
a person or animal:
a strange but likable cuss.
Origin
1765-75, Americanism; variant of curse, with loss of r and shortening of vowel, as in ass2, bass2, passel, etc.
Related forms
cusser, noun
Can be confused
coarse, course, curse, cuss.
Examples from the web for cuss
  • The strange man, griffin, scares cuss away by pinching his nose with his invisible hand.
  • cuss went to see him following his first encounter with griffin.
British Dictionary definitions for cuss

cuss

/kʌs/
noun
1.
a curse; oath
2.
a person or animal, esp an annoying one
verb
3.
another word for curse (sense 8), curse (sense 9)
Word Origin and History for cuss
n.

1775, American English dialectal, "troublesome person or animal," an alteration of curse (n.), or else a shortening of the slang sense of customer.

v.

"to say bad words," 1815, alteration of curse (v.). Related: Cussed; cussing. To cuss out attested by 1881.

Slang definitions & phrases for cuss

cuss

noun

A man; fellow; guy •Most use since the 1860s

[1775+; a shortening of customer; or perhaps ''one who curses'']