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boss¹

(bôs, bŏs)

a. An employer or supervisor.

b. One who makes decisions or exercises authority.

2. A professional politician who controls a party or a political machine.

tr.v. bossed, boss·ing, boss·es

To give orders to, especially in an arrogant or domineering manner: bossing us around.

adj.
Slang

First-rate; topnotch.

[Dutch baas, master (from earlier, uncle); akin to Old High German basa, aunt.]

boss²

(bôs, bŏs)

1. A circular protuberance or knoblike swelling, as on the horns of certain animals.

2. A raised area used as ornamentation.

3. Architecture A raised ornament, such as one at the intersection of the ribs in a vaulted roof.

a. An enlarged part of a shaft to which another shaft is coupled or to which a wheel or gear is keyed.

b. A hub, especially of a propeller.

tr.v. bossed, boss·ing, boss·es

To emboss.

[Middle English boce, from Old French, hump, bump, ultimately (via a Vulgar Latin form such as *bottia; compare Italian bozza, bump) from Gaulish *buððā, bump, protuberance, from Proto-Celtic *bozdā, part that sticks out, protuberance (compare Welsh both, umbo, nave of a wheel); probably akin to Albanian gjethe, foliage, Old Church Slavonic gvozdĭ, nail, and Middle High German quast, bundle of twigs, besom.]

(click for a larger image)

boss²

depicting the murder of Thomas à Becket in Exeter Cathedral

Exeter, England

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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