boss
Part of speech: noun
verb
adj
Morphological type: simple
Topics: video-games
Etymology: Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *bʰā-
Proto-Germanic *bō-?
Proto-Germanic *baswô
Proto-West Germanic *baswō
Old Dutch *baso
Middle Dutch baes
Dutch baasbor.
English boss
Borrowed 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 video game sense is borrowed from Japanese ボス (bosu), borrowed from English boss.
Inflected forms:
form: bosses
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: bosses
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: bossing
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: bossed
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: bossed
pos: verb
tags: past
form: bosser
pos: adj
tags: comparative
form: bossest
pos: adj
tags: superlative
Senses:
gloss: One who is in charge or something.
pos: noun
examples: The boss of the company was going to Spain for work.
we have some vindictive people as bosses, and you don’t want to be the target of their wrath.
gloss: One who is in charge or something.
pos: noun
examples: Chat turned to whisper when the boss entered the conference room.
My boss complains that I'm always late to work.
"Our Boss has resigned!" said Joe Chandler slowly, impressively.
"No! Not the Commissioner o’ Police?" exclaimed Bunting.
gloss: One who is in charge or something.
pos: noun
examples: They named him boss because he had good leadership skills.
gloss: One who is in charge or something.
pos: noun
examples: He is the Republican boss in Kentucky.
gloss: One who is in charge or something.
pos: noun
tags: Australia
examples: Above all, she must not tell the boss of any little irregularity she may see.
gloss: One who is in charge or something.
pos: noun
tags: humorous
examples: There's no olive oil; will sunflower oil do? — I'll have to run that by the boss.
gloss: One who is in charge or something.
pos: noun
tags: India
Multicultural-London-English
Philippines
especially
informal
examples: Good to see you, boss.
gloss: An enemy, often at the end of a level, that is particularly challenging and must be beaten in order to progress.
pos: noun
examples: 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.
gloss: To exercise authoritative control over; to tell (someone) what to do, often repeatedly.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: By YOU last night’s journey was actually bossed / Without you, I’m certain, we’d all have been lost.
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; [...]
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 [...]
For if, on the one hand, I bossed him and showed him what to do and how to do it, [...]
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.
gloss: Of excellent quality, first-rate.
pos: adj
tags: Canada
US
slang
examples: That is a boss Zefron poster.
Boy 2: He's the neatest looking guy on TV!
Boy 3: I'll say!
Boy 1: He sure is!
Boy 3: Boy, the way he talks is really boss!
Synonyms: administrator
boss
chief
commander
director
governor
jefe
head
head man
higher-up
honcho
leader
manager
master
overseer
sachem
suit
superintendent
superior
supervisor
Antonyms: laborer
subordinate
worker
Related words: officer
associate
employer
important person
ruler
Translations: