boss

== English == === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /bɒs/ (General American, MLE) IPA(key): /bɔs/ (cot–caught merger) IPA(key): /bɑs/ Rhymes: -ɒs, -ɔːs === Etymology 1 === 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), in turn from English boss. ==== Noun ==== boss (plural bosses) A person who oversees and directs the work of others; a supervisor. 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. A person in charge of a business or company. Synonym: employer A leader, the head of an organized group or team. Synonyms: head, leader The head of a political party in a given region or district. Synonym: leader (informal, especially India, MLE and Philippines) A term of address to a man, especially a customer, but also sometimes to a friend or acquaintance of equal standing. (video games) An enemy, often at the end of a level, that is particularly challenging and must be beaten in order to progress. Synonym: guardian (humorous) One's wife. ===== Synonyms ===== (person who oversees and directs the work of others): line manager, manager, supervisor (informal: term of address to a man): gov/guv (UK), guvnor (UK), mate (UK) See also Thesaurus:boss ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Descendants ===== → Cantonese: 波士 (bo1 si6-2) → Danish: boss → French: boss → Indonesian: bos → Italian: boss → Japanese: ボス (bosu) → Korean: 보스 (boseu) → Russian: босс (boss) ===== Translations ===== ==== Verb ==== boss (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. Synonyms: lord over, boss around 1931, Robert L. May, Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer, Montgomery Ward (publisher): By YOU last night’s journey was actually bossed / Without you, I’m certain, we’d all have been lost. ===== Derived terms ===== boss about, boss around, overboss ===== Translations ===== ==== Adjective ==== boss (comparative bosser, superlative bossest) (slang, US, Canada, Liverpool) Of excellent quality, first-rate. === Etymology 2 === From Middle English bos, bose, boce, from Old French boce (“lump, bulge, protuberance, knot”), from Frankish *bottja, from Proto-Germanic *bautaną (“to hit, strike, beat”). Doublet of beat; see there for more. ==== Noun ==== boss (plural bosses) A swelling, lump or protuberance in an animal, person or object. Coordinate term: tuberosity (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. (mechanics) A protrusion; frequently a cylinder of material that extends beyond a hole. Coordinate terms: ear, eye (architecture) A knob or projection, usually at the intersection of ribs in a vault. (architecture) A roughly cut stone set in place for later carving. (archery) A target block, made of foam but historically made of hay bales, to which a target face is attached. 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. A head or reservoir of water. ===== Derived terms ===== bosslike emboss ===== Translations ===== ==== Verb ==== boss (third-person singular simple present bosses, present participle bossing, simple past and past participle bossed) (transitive) To decorate with bosses; to emboss. ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 3 === Apparently a corruption of bass. ==== Noun ==== boss (plural bosses) (obsolete) A hassock or small seat, especially made from a bundle of straw. ===== Synonyms ===== (hassock or footrest): footrest, hassock ===== Translations ===== === Anagrams === sobs, SBOs, SOBs, BSOs, BSSO == Danish == === Etymology === Via American English boss, from Dutch baas. === Noun === boss c (singular definite bossen, plural indefinite bosser) (informal) boss (leader of a company etc.) Synonym: (more formal) chef (video games) boss ==== Declension ==== === Further reading === “boss” in Den Danske Ordbog == French == === Etymology === Borrowed from English boss. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /bɔs/ === Noun === boss m or f by sense (plural boss or bosses) boss (leader) (video games) boss === Further reading === “boss”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012 == Italian == === Etymology === Unadapted borrowing from English boss. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈbɔs/ Rhymes: -ɔs Hyphenation: bòss === Noun === boss m (invariable) boss (leader of a business, company or criminal organization) Synonym: capo == Maltese == === Etymology === Borrowed from English boss. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /bɔs/ Rhymes: -ɔs === Noun === boss m (plural bossijiet) boss ==== Related terms ==== == Norwegian Bokmål == === Etymology 1 === ==== Alternative forms ==== bøss ==== Noun ==== boss n (definite singular bosset, uncountable) garbage, rubbish, trash (leftover waste to be discarded) ===== Usage notes ===== Used mainly in the Bergen region. === Etymology 2 === ==== Noun ==== boss m (definite singular bossen, indefinite plural bosser, definite plural bossene) (colloquial) boss, supervisor (someone who oversees work) boss (final enemy in a video game) == Norwegian Nynorsk == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /bɔsː/ === Noun === boss n (definite singular bosset, uncountable) (Bergen, Snåsa, Gausdal, Grenland) alternative form of bos == Polish == === Etymology === Unadapted borrowing from English boss, from Dutch baas, from Middle Dutch baes, from Old Dutch *baso, from Proto-Germanic *baswô. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈbɔs/ Rhymes: -ɔs Syllabification: boss === Noun === boss m pers (colloquial) boss (supervisor) Synonyms: szef, zwierzchnik (video games) boss (enemy in a video game) ==== Declension ==== === Further reading === boss in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN boss in Polish dictionaries at PWN == Portuguese == === Etymology === Unadapted borrowing from English boss. === Pronunciation === === Noun === boss m (plural boss or bosses) (video games) boss Synonyms: chefe, chefão == Romanian == === Etymology === Unadapted borrowing from English boss. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /bos/ === Noun === boss m (plural boși) boss Synonym: șef ==== Declension ==== === Further reading === “boss”, in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language) (in Romanian), 2004–2026 == Swedish == === Etymology === Borrowed from English boss. === Noun === boss c (video games) boss; final enemy (colloquial) boss, supervisor; someone who oversees work Synonym: chef ==== Declension ==== ==== Hyponyms ==== (video games): mellanboss (“miniboss”), miniboss (“miniboss”), nivåboss (“level boss”), slutboss (“final boss”) == Tagalog == === Pronunciation === (Standard Tagalog) IPA(key): /ˈbos/ [ˈbos] Rhymes: -os Syllabification: boss === Noun === boss (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜓᜐ᜔) alternative spelling of bos