English Explanatory Dictionary

prissy

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Prim and fussy; too precise; overparticular.
  2. Lacking masculine vigor; sissified; effeminate.
  3. Well-mannered; well-behaved.
noun
  1. A person who is prissy.
name
  1. A diminutive of the female given name Priscilla.

Pronunciation

/ˈpɹɪsi/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-prissy.wav

Word forms

prissy prissier prissiest prissies

Etymology

1895, either an alteration of precise, blend of prim + sissy, or a blend of prim + fussy; first attested in a work of American writer Joel Chandler Harris.

Derived words

priss prissily prissiness prisspot unprissy
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
Back to search All on P Russian dictionary Dahl dictionary