floss

1 of 2

noun

ˈfläs 

ˈflȯs

1

a

: soft thread of silk or mercerized cotton for embroidery

b

: dental floss

2

: fluffy fibrous material

floss

2 of 2

verb

flossed; flossing; flosses

transitive verb

: to use dental floss on

intransitive verb

: to use dental floss

Synonyms of floss

Noun

• fur
• pile

Examples of floss in a Sentence

Noun

used cotton floss to simulate Santa's beard

Verb

My dentist told me I should floss more often.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The flap closure of her inexpressibles bore the name fanny sewell mounsey in yellow-gray embroidery floss. — Claire Carusillo, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026

Andrews handed out more than 100 dental care kits filled with toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss to help children build healthy habits and brighter smiles. — Leondra Head, CBS News, 31 July 2026

Verb

Brushing properly and flossing daily are the cornerstones of oral hygiene. — Mark Gurarie, HEALTH, 6 Aug. 2026

According to the Cleveland Clinic, recovery can take between one and two weeks, during which patients are also advised to avoid exercise, hard foods, and flossing along the gum line. — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 27 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

probably borrowed from Occitan (Languedoc or an adjacent area) flos "loose, untwisted (of silk)," going back to Latin fluxus "flowing, liquid, flabby, soft," from past participle of fluere "to flow" — more at fluid entry 1

Note: The English word apparently first occurs in Samuel Pullein's The Culture of Silk: Or, an Essay on its Rational Practice and Improvement (London, 1758). Pullein is unclear as to his sources, but he seems to have been familiar with silk production and the cultivation of mulberry trees in southeastern France and northwestern Italy. He uses the word both as an independent noun and in the collocation floss silk, which corresponds to French soie floche, Occitan sedo flusso (thus in Mistral, Lou tresor dóu Felibrige), and Italian seta floscia. French floche, which on phonetic grounds is unlikely to be the direct source of the English word, is traced to Gascon in Französisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, though Gascony was not a major center of silk production.

Verb

derivative of floss entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1759, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1921, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing floss

• candy floss
• dental floss

Rhymes for floss

• blas
• bos
• boss
• bosse
• clos
• crosse
• dos
• doss
• dross
• foss
• fosse
• gloss

Kids Definition

floss

1 of 2 noun

ˈfläs 

ˈflȯs

1

a

: soft silk or cotton thread used for embroidery

b

: dental floss

2

: fluffy material full of fibers

floss

2 of 2 verb

: to use dental floss on (one's teeth)

Medical Definition

floss

1 of 2 noun

ˈfläs, ˈflȯs 

: dental floss

floss

2 of 2 transitive verb

: to use dental floss on (one's teeth)

the correct way to floss your teeth

intransitive verb

: to use dental floss

flosses daily