Boss

Pronunciation

• UK: IPA: /bÉ’s/
• US: IPA: /bÉ”s/
• cot-caught: IPA: /bÉ‘s/,
• Rhymes: -É’s

From Middle English bos, bose, boce, from Old French boce ("lump, bulge, protuberance, knot"), from Old Frankish *bottja ("a shoot, sprout"; whence also Italian boccia, bocciolo ("bud"); Italian bozzo ("bump"); French bosse ("bump,hump")), a derivative of Old Frankish *bōtan ("to push, thrust, strike, beat"), from Proto-Germanic *bautaną ("to push, beat"), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰÀud-, *bʰÀu- ("to beat, push, strike"). Cognate with Old Frisian botta ("a shock, thrust, blow"), Middle Low German bote, bōte ("bundle of flax"), Old High German bōzo ("bundle of flax"), Old High German bōz ("a blow"). More at beat.

Full definition of boss

Noun

1. A swelling, lump or protuberance in an animal, person or object.
2. (geology) A lump-like mass of rock, especially one projecting through a stratum of different rock.
3. A convex protuberance in hammered work, especially the rounded projection in the centre of a shield.
4. (mechanics) A protrusion, frequently a cylinder of material that extends beyond a hole.
5. (architecture) A knob or projection, usually at the intersection of ribs in a vault.
6. (archery) the target block, made of foam but historically made of hay bales, to which a target face is attached.
7. A wooden vessel for the mortar used in tiling or masonry, hung by a hook from the laths, or from the rounds of a ladder.
8. A head or reservoir of water.

Derived terms

• bossless
• bosslike
• emboss

Verb

1. (transitive) To decorate with bosses; to emboss.

Apparently a corruption of bass.

Noun

1. (obsolete) A hassock or small seat, especially made from a bundle of straw.
• 1916, James Joyce, '', Macmillan Press Ltd, paperback, 36:All were waiting : uncle Charles, who sat far away in the shadow of the window, Dante and Mr Casey, who sat in the easy chairs at either side of the hearth, Stephen, seated on a chair between them, his feet resting on a toasting boss.

Synonyms

• hassock or footrest: footrest, hassock

From Dutch baas, from Middle Dutch baes ("master of a household, friend"), from Old Dutch *baso ("uncle, kinsman"), from Proto-Germanic *baswô, masculine form of Proto-Germanic *baswǭ ("father's sister, aunt, cousin"). Cognate with Middle Low German bās ("supervisor, foreman"), Old Frisian bas ("master"), Old High German basa

German Base ("aunt, cousin")}.

Originally a term of respect used to address an older relative, later, in New Amsterdam, it began to mean a person in charge who is not a master.

Noun

1. A person who oversees and directs the work of others; a supervisor.
2. A person in charge of a business or company.Chat turned to whisper when the boss entered the conference room.My boss complains that I'm always late to work.
3. A leader, the head of an organized group or team.They named him boss because he had good leadership skills.
4. The head of a political party in a given region or district.He is the Republican boss in Kentucky.
5. (informal) A term of address to a man.Yes, boss.
6. (video games) An enemy, often at the end of a level, that is particularly challenging and must be beaten in order to progress in, or complete, the game.
7. (humorous) Wife.There's no olive oil, will sunflower oil do? — I'll have to run that by the boss.

Synonyms

• person in charge of a business or company: employer
• person who oversees and directs the work of others: line manager, manager, supervisor
• leader of an organized group or team: head, leader
• head of a political party in a given region or district: leader
• informal: term of address to a man: gov/guv UK, guvnor UK, mate UK

Derived terms

• boss battle
• boss fight
• miniboss
• final boss
• show someone who's boss
• you're the boss

Verb

1. (transitive) To exercise authoritative control over; to lord over; to boss around; to tell (someone) what to do, often repeatedly.
• 1931, Robert L. May, Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer, Montgomery Ward (publisher):By YOU last night’s journey was actually bossed
  Without you, I’m certain, we’d all have been lost.
• 1932, Lorine Pruette, The Parent and the Happy Child, page 76His sisters bossed him and spoiled him. All their lives he was to go on being their little brother, who could do no wrong, because he was the baby; ...
• 1967, Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, The purloined paperweight, page 90She bossed him, and he's never gotten over it. She still orders him around, and instead of telling her to go soak her head, he just says 'Yes, ma'am' as weak as a newborn jellyfish ...
• 1980, Jean Toomer The wayward and the seeking: a collection of writings by Jean Toomer, page 40For if, on the one hand, I bossed him and showed him what to do and how to do it, ...

Derived terms

• boss about, boss around

Adjective

1. (slang, Liverpool) Of excellent quality, first-rate.

Anagrams

• BSOs
• sobs