bitch
n. countablen. a female dog. In slang, it can also be used to describe a woman who behaves unpleasantly, but that's considered offensive.
n. a female canine. In informal contexts, it may refer to a woman or man with unpleasant behavior, though this usage is considered vulgar and offensive.
The dog is a friendly bitch.
He called his colleague a bitch during the meeting, which was very unprofessional.
In literature, the protagonist's harsh treatment of her subordinates often leads to her being described as a shrewd but ultimately cruel bitch, highlighting the moral ambiguity of her character.
From Middle English biche, bicche, from Old English biċċe, from Proto-West Germanic bikkjā, from Proto-Germanic bikjǭ (“female dog”), compare Norwegian bikkje (“dog, bitch”), Old Danish bikke (“bitch”), from Proto-Germanic bikjaną (“to thrust, attack”), compare Old Norse bikkja (“to plunge into water”), Dutch bikken (“to hack”). Related to bicker.
The term’s trajectory is a chain of consonants and vowels, each stage a linguistic fossil pressed between the jaws of a dog and the syntax of its speakers. The Proto-Germanic root bikjaną, meaning “to thrust, attack,” is the pivot: it survives in Old Norse bikkja (to plunge into water) and Dutch bikken (to hack), while its descendant in English took a more specific turn, narrowing to the female dog. The comparison to bicker is phonetic rather than semantic, a shared glottal fricative and a shared tendency to fray social edges.
Often used in informal or vulgar contexts; can be offensive when applied to people.
She is a nice bitchShe is a nice dogThough 'bitch' is a synonym for 'female dog', it is considered vulgar and should be avoided in formal speech or writing.