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Oss
name, noun, verb
Definitions
Proper Noun
- 1 Initialism of Office of Strategic Services (a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II). abbreviation, alt-of, historical, initialism
- 2 A city and municipality of North Brabant, Netherlands.
Noun
- 1 Initialism of open-source software. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
- 2 Alternative spelling of 'oss. alt-of, alternative
- 3 plural of OS form-of, plural
- 4 Initialism of out-of-school suspension. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
- 5 Initialism of operations/operational support system. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Initialism of over-the-shoulder shot. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To set about, or intend be inclined to set about (doing something). dialectal
"JENNET. [...] Soa yee see Ise ossin towart hausekeepin. SARAH. Whya nowt but weel. Wees nit hev the weddin an kirsenin at yaa time, that's a cumfort. JENNET. Hed Sammy ivver offerd onny thing that's mismannerd to me, awr courtship wod sean hae[…]"
- 2 To offer (to do something). dialectal
"an' nobody ossin' to do it"
Etymology
Etymology 1
Unclear. Middle English ōssen had a rather different meaning, "to reveal, to prophesy", but the OED suggests it could nonetheless be the same verb. The origin of the Middle English verb is itself obscure, but it may be a variant of halsen, from Old English hālsian, although this too had a rather different meaning, "to beseech, entreat; to exorcise; to imprecate".
Etymology 2
Borrowed from Dutch Oss.
See also for "oss"
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