boss

1
[ baws, bos ]
See synonyms for: bossbosses on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a person who employs or superintends workers; manager.

  2. a politician who controls the party organization, as in a particular district.

  1. a person who makes decisions, exercises authority, dominates, etc.: My grandfather was the boss in his family.

  2. (in a video game or role-playing game) a powerful nonplayer character, often appearing at the end of a level or at the end of the game, who must be defeated in order for a player to move on to a new level or to win the game (often used attributively): Is there a trick to beating the final boss?Your objective for this boss-level event is to survive several waves of zombie attacks.

verb (used with object)
  1. to be master of or over; manage; direct; control.

  2. to order about, especially in an arrogant manner.

verb (used without object)
  1. to be boss.

  2. to be too domineering and authoritative.

adjective

Origin of boss

1
An Americanism dating from 1640–50; from Dutch baas “master, foreman”

Other words for boss

Words Nearby boss

Other definitions for boss (2 of 4)

boss2
[ baws, bos ]

noun
  1. Botany, Zoology. a protuberance or roundish excrescence on the body or on some organ of an animal or plant.

  2. Geology. a knoblike mass of rock, especially an outcrop of igneous or metamorphic rock.

  1. an ornamental protuberance of metal, ivory, etc.; stud.

  2. Architecture.

    • an ornamental, knoblike projection, as a carved keystone at the intersection of ogives.

    • a stone roughly formed and set in place for later carving.

  3. Bookbinding. one of several pieces of brass or other metal inset into the cover of a book to protect the corners or edges or for decoration.

  4. Machinery. a small projection on a casting or forging.

  5. Nautical. a projecting part in a ship's hull, or in one frame of a hull, fitting around a propeller shaft.

verb (used with object)
  1. to ornament with bosses.

  2. to emboss.

  1. (in plumbing) to hammer (sheet metal, as lead) to conform to an irregular surface.

Origin of boss

2
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English boce, from Anglo-French: “lump, growth, boil”; Old French, from unattested Vulgar Latin bottia, of uncertain origin

Other definitions for boss (3 of 4)

boss3
[ bos, baws ]

noun
  1. a familiar name for a calf or cow.

Origin of boss

3
An Americanism first recorded in 1790–1800; compare dialectal (southwest England) borse, boss, buss “six-month-old calf”

Other definitions for boss (4 of 4)

boss4
[ bos ]

adjectiveScot.

Origin of boss

4
First recorded in 1505–15; of obscure origin

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use boss in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for boss (1 of 4)

boss1

/ (bɒs) informal /


noun
  1. a person in charge of or employing others

  2. mainly US a professional politician who controls a party machine or political organization, often using devious or illegal methods

verb
  1. to employ, supervise, or be in charge of

  2. (usually foll by around or about) to be domineering or overbearing towards (others)

adjective
  1. slang excellent; fine: a boss hand at carpentry; that's boss!

Origin of boss

1
C19: from Dutch baas master; probably related to Old High German basa aunt, Frisian baes master

British Dictionary definitions for boss (2 of 4)

boss2

/ (bɒs) /


noun
  1. a knob, stud, or other circular rounded protuberance, esp an ornamental one on a vault, a ceiling, or a shield

  2. biology any of various protuberances or swellings in plants and animals

    • an area of increased thickness, usually cylindrical, that strengthens or provides room for a locating device on a shaft, hub of a wheel, etc

    • a similar projection around a hole in a casting or fabricated component

  1. an exposed rounded mass of igneous or metamorphic rock, esp the uppermost part of an underlying batholith

verb(tr)
  1. to ornament with bosses; emboss

Origin of boss

2
C13: from Old French boce, from Vulgar Latin bottia (unattested); related to Italian bozza metal knob, swelling

British Dictionary definitions for boss (3 of 4)

boss3

bossy

/ (bɒs) /


nounplural bosses or bossies
  1. a calf or cow

Origin of boss

3
C19: from dialect buss calf, perhaps ultimately from Latin bōs cow, ox

British Dictionary definitions for BOSS (4 of 4)

BOSS

/ (bɒs) /


n acronym for(formerly)
  1. Bureau of State Security; a branch of the South African security police

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