/ tɒs; NAmE tɔːs/ verb , noun
■ verb
THROW
1.
to throw sth lightly or carelessly :
[ vn + adv. / prep. ]
I tossed the book aside and got up.
[ vn + adv. / prep. , vnn ]
He tossed the ball to Anna.
He tossed Anna the ball.
➡ note at throw
YOUR HEAD
2.
[ vn ] to move your head suddenly upwards, especially to show that you are annoyed or impatient :
She just tossed her head and walked off.
SIDE TO SIDE / UP AND DOWN
3.
to move or make sb/sth move from side to side or up and down :
[ v ]
Branches were tossing in the wind.
I couldn't sleep but kept tossing and turning in bed all night.
[ vn ]
Our boat was being tossed by the huge waves.
IN COOKING
4.
[ vn ] to shake or turn food in order to cover it with oil, butter, etc. :
Drain the pasta and toss it in melted butter.
5.
[ vn ] toss a pancake ( BrE ) to throw a pancake upwards so that it turns over in the air and you can fry the other side
COIN
6.
toss (sb) for sth ( especially BrE ) ( BrE also toss up (for sth) ) to throw a coin in the air in order to decide sth, especially by guessing which side is facing upwards when it lands
SYN flip :
[ vn ]
There's only one ticket left—I'll toss you for it.
Let's toss a coin .
[ v ]
We tossed up to see who went first.
( figurative )
He had to toss up between (= decide between) paying the rent or buying food.
—related noun toss-up
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- toss off | toss sb / yourself off
- toss sth off
■ noun
[ usually sing. ]
OF COIN
1.
an act of throwing a coin in the air in order to decide sth :
The final result was decided on / by the toss of a coin .
to win / lose the toss (= to guess correctly / wrongly which side of a coin will face upwards when it lands on the ground after it has been thrown in the air)
OF HEAD
2.
toss of your head an act of moving your head suddenly upwards, especially to show that you are annoyed or impatient :
She dismissed the question with a toss of her head.
THROW
3.
an act of throwing sth, especially in a competition or game :
a toss of 10 metres
•
IDIOMS
- not give a toss (about sb/sth)
—more at argue
••
WORD ORIGIN
early 16th cent.: of unknown origin.