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Toss

//tɒs// noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Noun

1
A throw, a lob, of a ball etc., with an initial upward direction, particularly with a lack of care. countable, uncountable
2
plural of TOS form-of, plural
3
(sports) the act of throwing the ball to another member of your team wordnet
4
The coin toss before a cricket match in order to decide who bats first, or before a football match in order to decide the direction of play. countable, uncountable
5
an abrupt movement wordnet

Show 8 more definitions

6
A haughty throwing up of the head. countable, uncountable
7
the act of flipping a coin wordnet
8
Concern or consideration. British, countable, slang, uncountable
"I don't give a toss about her."
9
A state of agitation; commotion. British, countable, slang, uncountable
"This put us at the board into a Tosse."
10
A measure of sprats. countable, uncountable
"It will differ from the heaped measure of oysters, improperly called the peck, by about one-seventh part in excess, and from the toss of sprats by about one-third part in excess."
11
A handover from one presenter to another, announced by the first presenter. countable, uncountable
"The introduction would still be done by the Monitor host in New York's Studio 5B, followed by the toss to the newsperson in Washington."
12
Nonsense; drivel. UK, slang, uncountable
"Then I look again at this message. What a load of toss."
13
An act of masturbation. UK, countable, uncountable, vulgar
"And Uncle Frank is having a wank, And Auntie Floss is having a toss, With Grandad."

Verb

1
To throw with an initial upward direction.
"Toss it over here!"
2
agitate wordnet
3
To lift with a sudden or violent motion.
"to toss the head"
4
throw or toss with a light motion wordnet
5
To agitate; to make restless.
"Calm region once, And full of peace, now tossed and turbulent."

Show 16 more definitions

6
throw carelessly wordnet
7
To subject to trials; to harass.
"Whom devils fly, thus is he tossed of men."
8
move or stir about violently wordnet
9
To flip a coin, to decide a point of contention.
"We should toss for it."
10
lightly throw to see which side comes up wordnet
11
To discard; to throw away. informal, transitive
"I don't need it any more; you can just toss it."
12
throw or cast away wordnet
13
To stir or mix (a salad).
"to toss a salad; a tossed salad."
14
To masturbate. UK, slang
15
To search (a room or a cell), sometimes leaving visible disorder, as for valuables or evidence of a crime. informal, transitive
"John Orr had occasion to complain in writing to the senior supervisor that his Playboy and Penthouse magazines had been stolen by deputies. And he believed that was what prompted a random search of his cell for contraband. He was stripped, handcuffed, and forced to watch as they tossed his cell."
16
To roll and tumble; to be in violent commotion. intransitive
"tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep"
17
To be tossed, as a fleet on the ocean, or as a ship in heavy seas. intransitive
"Even now did the sea toss up upon our shore"
18
To keep in play; to tumble over. obsolete
"spend four or fiue yeares, in tossing all the rules of Grammer in common scholes"
19
To peak (the oars), to lift them from the rowlocks and hold them perpendicularly, the handle resting on the bottom of the boat.
20
To drink in large draughts; to gulp. UK, slang
"Their modest stole, to garish looser weed, Deck'd with love-favours their late whoredoms' meed: And where they wont sip of the simple flood, Now toss they bowls of Bacchus' boiling blood,"
21
To vomit. slang, usually

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English tossen (“to buffet about, agitate, toss; to sift or winnow”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Old Norse (compare dialectal Norwegian tossa, dialectal Swedish tossa (“to strew, spread”)), or perhaps from an alteration of Middle English tosen (“to tease, pull apart, shred; to wound, injure”). Compare also Dutch tassen (“to pile or heap up, stack”). The Welsh tos (“a quick jerk”) and tosio (“to jerk, toss”) are probably borrowed from the English.

Etymology 2

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