bitch
n. · v.-
1 female dog (n.) B2 Upper Intermediate Technicalthe technical name for a female dog or other canine.
a female dog, wolf, fox, or otter. Used neutrally in professional breeding and veterinary contexts.
ExampleThe breeder confirmed that the bitch was healthy and ready to have her first litter of puppies.
ExampleThe veterinarian noted that the bitch had successfully whelped six healthy pups without any surgical intervention.
UsageIn modern English, this is the only sense that is not considered rude or informal.
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2 a complaint (n.) C1 Advanced Informal Slanga complaint about something, often one that seems annoying or unnecessary.
a grievance or complaint, typically one expressed in a spiteful or persistent manner.
ExampleMy only bitch about the new job is that the commute is too long.
ExampleDespite the high salary, the constant overtime remained a major bitch among the junior associates.
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3 something difficult (n.) C1 Advanced Informal Slang Vulgara situation or task that is very difficult, unpleasant, or painful.
an extremely difficult, unpleasant, or challenging task or circumstance.
ExampleThat chemistry exam was a real bitch; I don't think I passed.
ExampleDriving through the mountain pass during a blizzard is a total bitch even for experienced truckers.
- breeze
- cinch
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4 to complain (v.) B2 Upper Intermediate Informal Slang Vulgarto complain in a mean or annoying way about something.
to complain or find fault in a spiteful or persistent manner. Often used with 'about'.
ExampleStop bitching about the weather and just put on a coat.
ExampleThey spent the entire lunch hour bitching about the new management's policy on remote work.
UsageUsually intransitive; frequently followed by the preposition 'about'.
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.