boss
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /bɒs/
ipa: /bɔs/
ipa: /bɑs/
rhymes: -ɒs
rhymes: -ɔːs
Forms: form: bosses
Etymology: From Dutch baas, from Middle Dutch baes (“master of a household, friend”), from Old Dutch *baso (“uncle, kinsman”), from Proto-West Germanic *baswō, from Proto-Germanic *baswô (“uncle”), perhaps from Proto-Germanic *ba-, *bō- (“father, older male relative”), source also of the English terms babe, boy, bub, bully. Cognate with Middle Low German bās (“supervisor, foreman”), Old Frisian bas (“master”), hence Saterland Frisian Boas (“boss”), Old High German basa (“father's sister, cousin”), hence 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. The video game sense is borrowed from Japanese ボス (bosu), in turn from English boss.
Senses: examples: text: The boss of the company was going to Spain for work.
text: February 18, 2018, Dawn Pine, Strategies for Dealing with a Bad Boss
we have some vindictive people as bosses, and you don’t want to be the target of their wrath.
glosses: A person who oversees and directs the work of others; a supervisor.
examples: text: Chat turned to whisper when the boss entered the conference room.
text: My boss complains that I'm always late to work.
synonyms: employer
glosses: A person in charge of a business or company.
examples: text: They named him boss because he had good leadership skills.
synonyms: head
leader
glosses: A leader, the head of an organized group or team.
examples: text: He is the Republican boss in Kentucky.
synonyms: leader
glosses: The head of a political party in a given region or district.
examples: text: Good to see you, boss.
glosses: A term of address to a man, especially a customer, but also sometimes to a friend or acquaintance of equal standing.
examples: text: Cuphead built a reputation for difficulty before release, but its boss battles are mostly about recognizing patterns than getting lucky against unfair bosses. Watching players ace their way through the game’s bosses is a spellbinding reminder that even tough games can be defeated easily with hard work.
ref: 2017 October 2, Heather Alexandra, “Cuphead Player Beats Bosses Without Taking A Single Hit”, in Kotaku, archived from the original on 18 Feb 2018:
topics: video-games
synonyms: guardian
glosses: An enemy, often at the end of a level, that is particularly challenging and must be beaten in order to progress.
examples: text: There's no olive oil; will sunflower oil do? — I'll have to run that by the boss.
glosses: Wife.
Synonyms: sense: person who oversees and directs the work of others
word: line manager
sense: person who oversees and directs the work of others
word: manager
sense: person who oversees and directs the work of others
word: supervisor
word: gov
word: guv
word: guvnor
word: mate
word: administrator
word: boss
word: chief
word: commander
word: director
word: governor
word: jefe
word: head
word: head man
word: higher-up
word: honcho
word: leader
word: master
word: overseer
word: sachem
word: suit
word: superintendent
word: superior
Hypernyms: word: person
Hyponyms: word: chief executive officer
word: CEO
word: criminal leader
word: executive
word: executive officer
word: floor manager
word: foreman
word: general manager
word: line manager
word: middle manager
word: provost
word: stage manager
word: straw boss
Derived terms: sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: antiboss
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: boss battle
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: boss boy
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: boss button
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: bossdom
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: boss-eyed
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: boss fight
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: bossfight
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: bossful
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: boss head
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: bosshood
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: bossish
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: bossism
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: boss key
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: bossless
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: bosslet
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: bossling
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: bossly
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: bossman
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: bossnapping
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: bossocracy
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: Boss of the Plains
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: boss rush
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: boss up
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: bossware
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: bosswoman
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: bossy
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: deboss
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: final boss
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: fire boss
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: girlboss
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: grandboss
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: like a boss
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: meet the new boss, same as the old boss
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: midboss
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: mini-boss
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: miniboss
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: one's own boss
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: overboss
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: pannikin boss
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: party boss
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: pit boss
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: pit-boss
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: show someone who's boss
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: show who's boss
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: show who's the boss
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: straw boss
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: superboss
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: teach someone who's the boss
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: teach who's boss
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: teach who's the boss
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: underboss
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: walking boss
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: who died and made you boss
sense: Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)
word: you're the boss
Related terms: word: officer
word: associate
word: employer
word: important person
word: ruler