boss

1 of 6

noun (1)

1
: a person who exercises control or authority
union bosses
a mafia boss
specifically : one who directs or supervises workers
asking your boss for a raise
2
politics : one who controls votes in a party organization or dictates appointments or legislative measures
standing up to the party bosses
bossdom
ˈbȯs-dəm How to pronounce boss (audio)
ˈbäs-
noun
bossism noun

boss

2 of 6

verb (1)

bossed; bossing; bosses

transitive verb

1
: to give usually arbitrary orders to
usually used with around
Quit bossing me around.
2
: to exercise control or authority over : to act as boss (see boss entry 1) of
need someone to boss that job

boss

3 of 6

adjective

slang
: excellent, first-rate
a boss new rock band

boss

4 of 6

noun (2)

1
a
: a raised ornamentation (as on a belt or shield) : stud
b
: an ornamental projecting block used in architecture
c
: a protuberant part or body
a boss of granite
a boss on an animal's horn
2
: a soft pad used in ceramics and glassmaking
3
: the hub of a propeller

Illustration of boss

Illustration of boss
  • boss 1c

boss

5 of 6

verb (2)

bossed; bossing; bosses

transitive verb

1
: to embellish (something, such as a belt or shield) with a raised decoration : to ornament with bosses (see boss entry 4) : emboss
a bossed book cover
2
: to treat (something, such as the surface of porcelain) with a boss

boss

6 of 6

noun (3)

: cow, calf

Did you know?

The Dutch settlements in North America all came under English rule in the 1660s and 1670s, but Dutch continued to be spoken in the region long afterward. In American English, the lexical heritage of the Dutch colonies includes dope, stoop (meaning “porch”), and Santa Claus. Perhaps the most pervasive Dutch loanword is boss, from the Dutch baas, meaning “master.” The word first appears in the form boss in 1806, used by Washington Irving. Part of its success seems to have resulted from an American aversion to master, which was common in British use.

Example Sentences

Adjective a boss new rock band that's a really boss stereo you've got
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Should remote worker bring up boss’s mean emails or look for another job? oregonlive, 1 June 2023 Paxton’s chief deputy, Brent Webster, was passed over to fill in until his boss’s trial. Molly Hennessy-fiske, Anchorage Daily News, 1 June 2023 Pence’s presidential bid will pit him against his former boss and running mate, former President Donald Trump, who’s seeking a second term and is for now the early frontrunner. Alexandra Meeks, CNN, 1 June 2023 Having Mazzulla as the coach is like having Marcus Smart as the bench boss. Christopher L. Gasper, BostonGlobe.com, 31 May 2023 Schmidt wanted to make a horror film and had taken a meeting about the next entry in the Hellraiser franchise, which was in the process of becoming a straight-to-video series under the stewardship of Dimension Films boss Bob Weinstein. Clark Collis, EW.com, 30 May 2023 My boss, Bro Krift, took to Twitter to bravely share his experience of bringing dad energy to the Snake Pit. The Indianapolis Star, 28 May 2023 The boss Rick Ross running for mayor of Fayetteville. Justin Ray, Robb Report, 26 May 2023 The senator was an interesting subject, but I was equally drawn to Murphy, who resembled his boss in some ways — the Southern drawl, the raconteur charm. Ben Terris, Washington Post, 26 May 2023
Verb
The drolly demented new thriller (now playing in select cities, in theaters nationwide Friday) follows a wealthy hotel heir named Hal (Christopher Abbott), who gets pleasure from being bossed around and humiliated by his longtime dominatrix, Rebecca (Margaret Qualley). Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 1 June 2023 What better place to target that regression against a City offense that performs exponentially better at home and has bossed fellow Big Six opponents? Nick Hennion, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2023 The recipients of the emails felt confused, bossed around and uninvolved. Janine Schindler, Forbes, 4 May 2023 Further, their defense has bossed the Clippers in two head-to-head meetings this season. Nick Hennion, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2023 In addition to co-writing the 2011 Ryan Reynolds Green Lantern movie, Guggenheim also recently worked on the splashy Green Lantern TV series developed for HBO Max, though that series is no longer moving forward under a change in direction by new DC Studios bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran. Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Feb. 2023 Indeed, one reason that older sisters feel so comfortable bossing younger ones around and giving them advice is precisely because there is a strong connection between them. Deborah Tannen, Scientific American, 1 Mar. 2016 Will Marshall finally boss up? Vulture, 4 Apr. 2023 Brentford has bossed weaker competition at home this season. Nick Hennion, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2023
Adjective
Binning notes that Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of the Niles area, a former Traficant aide who won his ex-boss' congressional seat, was re-elected Tuesday by his smallest-ever margin, defeating GOP former state legislator Christina Hagan by 7.5 percentage points. Sabrina Eaton, cleveland, 6 Nov. 2020 This excludes things like putting in legendaries for end of mission rewards or taking them out of non-boss chests. Paul Tassi, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'boss.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1), Verb (1), and Adjective

Dutch baas master

Noun (2) and Verb (2)

Middle English boce, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *bottia

Noun (3)

English dialect, young cow

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1653, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

1856, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adjective

1836, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1c

Verb (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (3)

1790, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of boss was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near boss

Cite this Entry

“Boss.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boss. Accessed 5 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

boss

1 of 5 noun
ˈbȯs How to pronounce boss (audio)
ˈbäs
: a raised rounded part often used ornamentally (as on a shield or a ceiling) : stud

boss

2 of 5 verb
: to ornament with bosses : emboss

boss

3 of 5 noun
ˈbȯs
1
: the person (as an employer or supervisor) who tells workers what to do
2
: the head of a group
especially : a powerful politician who controls party business
boss adjective

boss

4 of 5 verb
1
: to be in charge of
boss a job
2
: to give orders to
don't boss me around

boss

5 of 5 adjective
Etymology

Noun

Middle English boce "raised rounded part," from early French boce (same meaning)

Noun

from Dutch baas "master"

Medical Definition

boss

noun
: a protuberant part or body
a boss on an animal's horn

More from Merriam-Webster on boss

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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