pee English · revision 10805

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=clipping|attested=1788|origins=en piss}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /piː/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a euphemism based on the first letter of [[piss]],^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024)^(NODE 1998)^(Collins 2023) or a nursery word, compare French faire pipi.^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ To wet with urine: 1788 in Etymonline and in Green's first quotation, from a poem by Picken.^(Etymonline)^(GDoS)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ To urinate is from 1879 in Etymonline.^(Etymonline) The noun, an act of urination, is attested by 1902,^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) and urine by 1961 in Etymonline,^(Etymonline) though Green quotes an American folksong of about 1864.^(GDoS) The reduplicated ''pee-pee'' is attested by 1923.^(Etymonline) In 1970s American slang, pee was also pure heroin.^(GDoS)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1788 – to pee (verb).^(Etymonline)^(GDoS)

+ * c. 1864 – urine (noun).^(GDoS)

+ * 1879 – to urinate.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1902 – an act of urinating.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1923 – pee-pee.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''(informal)'' To [[urinate]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(informal)'' [[urine|alt=Urine]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(informal)'' An act of urinating.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[piss]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Pee is also the name of the letter p.^(AHD)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}