Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

dossy

adjective
\ ˈdäsē, -si\
-er/-est

Definition of dossy

chiefly British
: pretentiously fashionable

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

History and Etymology for dossy

Scots dossie sprucely dressed person, from doss neat (from doss to dress, from Dutch dossen, from dos clothes, from Middle Dutch, perhaps from Old French dos back, from Latin dorsum) + -ie

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about dossy

Dictionary Entries near dossy

doss-house

dossier

dossily

dossy

dost

Dostoyevsky

dot

Statistics for dossy

Look-up Popularity

Comments on dossy

What made you want to look up dossy? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

chockablock

very full or close together

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

What did you just call me?! A Quiz

  • rows-of-various-emoji
  • If a member of the audience describes your speech as bombastic, does that person mean it is:
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ
SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games