The AI-powered English dictionary
plural bosses
A person who oversees and directs the work of others; a supervisor. quotations examples
we have some vindictive people as bosses, and you don’t want to be the target of their wrath.
February 18, 2018, Dawn Pine, Strategies for Dealing with a Bad Boss
A person in charge of a business or company. examples
A leader, the head of an organized group or team. examples
The head of a political party in a given region or district. examples
(informal, especially India, MLE and Philippines) A term of address to a man. examples
(video games) An enemy, often at the end of a level, that is particularly challenging and must be beaten in order to progress. examples
(humorous) Wife. examples
third-person singular simple present bosses, present participle bossing, simple past and past participle bossed
(transitive) To exercise authoritative control over; to tell (someone) what to do, often repeatedly. quotations examples
By YOU last night’s journey was actually bossed / Without you, I’m certain, we’d all have been lost.
1931, Robert L. May, Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer, Montgomery Ward (publisher)
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; [...]
1932, Lorine Pruette, The Parent and the Happy Child, page 76
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 [...]
1967, Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, The purloined paperweight, page 90
For if, on the one hand, I bossed him and showed him what to do and how to do it, [...]
1980, Jean Toomer, The wayward and the seeking: a collection of writings by Jean Toomer, page 40
Clarke was undoubtedly made to change things and for spells, the Czechs bossed the game. Scotland's midfield was nullified, Dykes struggled to hold the ball up while, barring a small handful of forays by Robertson, there was a distinct lack of width from the Scots.
2021 June 14, Scott Mullen, “Scotland 0-2 Czech Republic”, in BBC Sport
not comparable
(slang, US, Canada, Liverpool) Of excellent quality, first-rate.
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. examples
(mechanics) A protrusion, frequently a cylinder of material that extends beyond a hole. quotations examples
The seargent […] screwing a bipod into the threaded boss on the underside of the barrel would kill these animals […]
1985, Cormac McCarthy, chapter IV, in Blood Meridian […]
(architecture) A knob or projection, usually at the intersection of ribs in a vault. examples
(archery) A target block, made of foam but historically made of hay bales, to which a target face is attached. examples
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. quotations examples
Boss, a short trough for holding water, when tiling the roof
1842, Peter Nicholson, The Mechanic's Companion
A head or reservoir of water. examples
(transitive) To decorate with bosses; to emboss. examples
(obsolete) A hassock or small seat, especially made from a bundle of straw. quotations
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, section 36