boss
English
Pronunciation
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language code; the value "RP" is not valid. See WT:LOL.: IPA(key): /bɒs/
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language code; the value "GenAm" is not valid. See WT:LOL.: IPA(key): /bɔs/
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language code; the value "cot-caught" is not valid. See WT:LOL.: IPA(key): /bɑs/
Audio (US cot-caught merged) (file) - Rhymes: -ɒs
Etymology 1
From Middle English bos, bose, boce, from Old French boce (“lump, bulge, protuberance, knot”), of Frankish origin. Doublet of beat; see there for more.
Noun
boss (plural bosses)
- A swelling, lump or protuberance in an animal, person or object.
- (geology) A lump-like mass of rock, especially one projecting through a stratum of different rock.
- A convex protuberance in hammered work, especially the rounded projection in the centre of a shield.
- (mechanics) A protrusion, frequently a cylinder of material that extends beyond a hole.
- (architecture) A knob or projection, usually at the intersection of ribs in a vault.
- (archery) A target block, made of foam but historically made of hay bales, to which a target face is attached.
- 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.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Gwilt to this entry?)
- A head or reservoir of water.
Derived terms
Translations
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Verb
Lua error in Module:en-headword at line 1146: Legacy parameter 1=es/ies/d no longer supported, just use 'en-verb' without params
- (transitive) To decorate with bosses; to emboss.
Etymology 2
Apparently a corruption of bass.
Noun
boss (plural bosses)
- (obsolete) A hassock or small seat, especially made from a bundle of straw.
- 1916, James Joyce, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, 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.
- 1916, James Joyce, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Macmillan Press Ltd, paperback, 36:
Synonyms
Translations
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Etymology 3
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”) (> Saterland Frisian Boas (“boss”)), Old High German basa ("father's sister, cousin"; > 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. The representation of Dutch -aa- by English -o- is due to the older unrounded pronunciation of this letter, which is still used in North America and parts of Ireland, but was formerly found in some British accents as well.
Noun
boss (plural bosses)
- A person who oversees and directs the work of others; a supervisor.
- (Can we date this quote by Dawn Pine and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- Bad people make for bad bosses.
- (Can we date this quote by Dawn Pine and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- 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.
- A leader, the head of an organized group or team.
- They named him boss because he had good leadership skills.
- The head of a political party in a given region or district.
- He is the Republican boss in Kentucky.
- (informal, especially India) A term of address to a man.
- Yes, boss.
- (video games) An enemy, often at the end of a level, that is particularly challenging and must be beaten in order to progress.
- (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)
- See also Thesaurus:boss
Derived terms
Translations
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Verb
Lua error in Module:en-headword at line 1146: Legacy parameter 1=es/ies/d no longer supported, just use 'en-verb' without params
- (transitive) To exercise authoritative control over; to tell (someone) what to do, often repeatedly.
- Synonyms: lord over, boss around
- 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 76
- His 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 90
- She 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 40
- For if, on the one hand, I bossed him and showed him what to do and how to do it, [...]
Derived terms
Translations
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Adjective
boss (not comparable)
Anagrams
French
Etymology
Pronunciation
Noun
boss m or f (plural boss or bosses)
- boss (leader)
Italian
Etymology
Noun
boss m (uncountable)
- boss (leader of a business, company or criminal organization)
Synonyms
Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology 1
Alternative forms
Noun
boss n (definite singular bosset, uncountable)
Usage notes
Used mainly in the Bergen region.
Etymology 2
Noun
boss m (definite singular bossen, indefinite plural bosser, definite plural bossene)
- (colloquial) boss, supervisor (someone who oversees work)
- boss (final enemy in a video game)
Norwegian Nynorsk
Noun
boss n (definite singular bosset, uncountable)
- Alternative form of bos
Swedish
Etymology
Noun
boss c
- (video games) boss; final enemy
- (colloquial) boss, supervisor; someone who oversees work
Declension
Declension of boss | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||
Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite | |
Nominative | boss | bossen | bossar | bossarna |
Genitive | boss | bossens | bossars | bossarnas |
Tagalog
Etymology
Noun
boss
- (colloquial, slang, informal) A male term of address.
- (colloquial, slang, informal) boss
Derived terms
- English 1-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- Rhymes:English/ɒs
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Frankish
- English doublets
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- en:Geology
- en:Mechanics
- en:Architecture
- en:Archery
- Requests for quotations/Gwilt
- English transitive verbs
- English terms with obsolete senses
- English terms borrowed from Dutch
- English terms derived from Dutch
- English terms derived from Middle Dutch
- English terms derived from Old Dutch
- English terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- Requests for date/Dawn Pine
- English informal terms
- Indian English
- en:Video games
- English humorous terms
- Min Nan terms with non-redundant manual script codes
- English adjectives
- English uncomparable adjectives
- English slang
- American English
- Canadian English
- Liverpudlian English
- English terms with usage examples
- en:People
- French terms borrowed from English
- French terms derived from English
- French 1-syllable words
- French terms with IPA pronunciation
- French terms with audio links
- French lemmas
- French nouns
- French countable nouns
- French masculine nouns
- French feminine nouns
- French nouns with multiple genders
- Italian terms borrowed from English
- Italian terms derived from English
- Italian lemmas
- Italian nouns
- Italian uncountable nouns
- Italian masculine nouns
- Norwegian Bokmål lemmas
- Norwegian Bokmål nouns
- Norwegian Bokmål uncountable nouns
- Norwegian Bokmål neuter nouns
- Norwegian Bokmål masculine nouns
- Norwegian Bokmål colloquialisms
- Norwegian Nynorsk lemmas
- Norwegian Nynorsk nouns
- Norwegian Nynorsk uncountable nouns
- Norwegian Nynorsk neuter nouns
- Swedish terms borrowed from English
- Swedish terms derived from English
- Swedish lemmas
- Swedish nouns
- Swedish common-gender nouns
- sv:Video games
- Swedish colloquialisms
- Tagalog terms borrowed from English
- Tagalog terms derived from English
- Tagalog lemmas
- Tagalog nouns
- Tagalog colloquialisms
- Tagalog slang
- Tagalog informal terms