Wiktionary

bitchy

English

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Etymology

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From bitch +‎ -y.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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bitchy (comparative bitchier, superlative bitchiest)

  1. (colloquial) Spiteful or malevolent; catty; malicious; unpleasant.
    What she said—and what she did—was really bitchy.
  2. (colloquial) Irritable.
    He’s really bitchy in the morning.
  3. (archaic, rare) Resembling or characteristic of a female dog.
    • 1877 January 4, “Dog Shows”, in The Country: A Journal of Rural Pursuits, volume VIII, London, page 22, column 1:
      Greyhounds (dogs 4, bitches 2): All moderate; the small bitchy-looking Speculation was placed 1st in dogs, and Kate, by Cauld Kail—Graceful, was 1st in bitches, the former taking cup for best in both classes; […]
    • 1882 December 28, “Birmingham Dog Show”, in Forest and Stream. A Weekly Journal of the Rod and Gun. […], volume XIX, number 22, New York, N.Y.: […] [T]he Forest and Stream Publishing Company, published 1883, page 433, column 1:
      […] Hatteraick is good in shape and well feathered, but bitchy in face; […]
    • 1891 April 4, “Comments on Awards”, in Fanciers’ Journal. Devoted to Dogs, Poultry, Pigeons & Pet Stock., volume 6, number 14, Philadelphia, Pa.: Fanciers’ Publishing Co., page 213, column 3:
      The latter, though his muzzle is too weak and expression too bitchy, scores over his opponent in head properties, but he wants more bone, of better formation, is wide in front, very short and thick in neck and coarse in shoulders.
    • 1897 April 2, C. H. M., “Pittsburgh Dog Show”, in Turf, Field, and Farm, volume LXIV, number 14, New York, N.Y., page 528, column 2:
      His head is bitchy and he is not a show dog. […] Sir Knight, V H C, is light in the quarters, bitchy in head, only fair in limb and not very strong in loin.
    • 1907, Outing, volume 50, page 496, column 1:
      Where is the dog? One man would say Hard Cash; another would answer that he is too light and bitchy.
    • 1908, Dogdom, volume 9, page 337, column 1:
      Entirely disregarding sex, Ch. Searchlight has a beautiful Cocker head, but as he is a dog, his head is too fine and far too much upon the bitchy order.
    • 1928, Vincent G. Perry, The Boston Terrier, Chicago, Ill.: Judy Publishing Company, page 56:
      The little bitchy type dog who had nothing to recommend him except that he was small and popular with novice fanciers as a stud dog, has done more to set Boston terrier breeding back, than any other factor in its history.
    • 1935, The American Kennel Gazette, volume 52, American Kennel Club, page 73, column 1:
      Scrappy Downhill, not quite enough bone, rather flat ribbed, and a little bitchy headed.
    • 1952 August 31, Louise Rucks, quoting a breeder, “Dogs”, in Sunday Magazine (The Daily Oklahoman), Oklahoma City, Okla., page 5:
      You’re still a backyard breeder, and you’ve got a bad case of kennel blindness, for all you’ve got a pretty nice dog. If you’d study the Standard you’d know. Percival has his faults, too. He’s a little too bitchy, and just a little on the snipey side.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Note 1