piss

piss — noun

1. the waste liquid that gathers in the bladder and later comes out of the body.

1.nounB2
Definition

the waste liquid that gathers in the bladder and later comes out of the body.

Example

The puppy left piss on the kitchen floor during the storm.

uncountable noun: left piss on + place

Jake stepped in piss by the station wall after the game.

pattern: step in piss

Common collocations
  • piss sample
  • smell of piss
  • dog piss
  • cat piss
Synonyms
  • urine

    neutral or medical; the normal polite choice

  • pee

    milder informal word, common with children and families

  • wee

    mainly British informal, often child-directed

Grammar Patterns

piss sample

smell of piss

piss on + surface

Usage Note

Strong vulgar slang. In polite speech, learners normally say 'urine', especially in medical contexts such as tests or samples.

Common Mistakes

There was a piss on the floor.
There was piss on the floor.
this substance sense is normally uncountable.

2. one occasion of emptying the bladder, usually mentioned in a rough everyday expr

2.nounC1
Definition

one occasion of emptying the bladder, usually mentioned in a rough everyday expression.

Example

Dad stopped the car because Leo needed a quick piss.

fixed phrase: need a piss

Two hikers went behind a tree for a piss.

pattern: go for a piss

Common collocations
  • need a piss
  • have a piss
  • take a piss
  • go for a piss
Synonyms
  • pee

    informal but milder; often used as a noun in speech

  • wee

    mainly British informal, especially in family talk

  • bathroom break

    polite phrase that avoids naming the bodily act directly

Grammar Patterns

need a piss

have a piss

take a piss

go for a piss

Usage Note

Usually appears with verbs such as 'need', 'have', 'take', or 'go for'. It sounds much rougher than 'pee' or 'bathroom break'.

Common Mistakes

I went for piss.
I went for a piss.
this count sense needs 'a' in the fixed phrase.

piss — verb

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

For this sense, the key difference is register. 'Piss' is strongly rude and usually appears when speakers are angry, rough, drunk, or joking with close friends. 'Pee' names the same body action but sounds much milder, so adults often use it with children or in relaxed family talk. 'Urinate' is the formal or medical choice, which is why doctors, nurses, and written instructions prefer it. 'Go to the toilet' is the polite everyday phrase when you do not want to mention the body process directly. In class, at work, or with strangers, 'I need to go to the toilet' is normal; 'I need to piss' can sound offensive.

piss ↗peeurinatego to the toilet

Etymology

Vulgar LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

English took this word into Middle English from Old French 'pisser'. That French verb probably goes back to an imitative base, so it likely began as a sound-based word. Both the noun and the verb have been in English since the 1300s. Over time the word stayed common in speech, but it came to sound rough and offensive, so modern learners usually meet it in slang, jokes, or angry talk rather than polite conversation.