boss 1
/baws, bos/ , n.
1. a person who employs or superintends workers; manager.
2. a politician who controls the party organization, as in a particular district.
3. a person who makes decisions, exercises authority, dominates, etc.: My grandfather was the boss in his family.
v.t.
4. to be master of or over; manage; direct; control.
5. to order about, esp. in an arrogant manner.
v.i.
6. to be boss.
7. to be too domineering and authoritative.
adj.
8. chief; master.
9. Slang. first-rate.
[ 1640-50, Amer.; baas master, foreman ]
Syn. 1. supervisor, head, foreman, chief, superintendent, administrator, overseer.
boss 2
/baws, bos/ , n.
1. Bot. , Zool. a protuberance or roundish excrescence on the body or on some organ of an animal or plant.
2. Geol. a knoblike mass of rock, esp. an outcrop of igneous or metamorphic rock.
3. an ornamental protuberance of metal, ivory, etc.; stud.
4. Archit.
a. an ornamental, knoblike projection, as a carved keystone at the intersection of ogives.
b. a stone roughly formed and set in place for later carving.
5. Bookbinding. one of several pieces of brass or other metal inset into the cover of a book to protect the corners or edges or for decoration.
6. Mach. a small projection on a casting or forging.
7. Naut. a projecting part in a ship's hull, or in one frame of a hull, fitting around a propeller shaft.
v.t.
8. to ornament with bosses.
9. to emboss.
10. (in plumbing) to hammer (sheet metal, as lead) to conform to an irregular surface.
[ 1250-1300; ME boce bottia, of uncert. orig. ]
boss 3
/bos, baws/ , n.
a familiar name for a calf or cow.
[ 1790-1800, Amer.; cf. dial. (SW England) borse, boss, buss six-month-old calf ]
boss 4
/bos/ , adj. Scot.
hollow; empty.
[ 1505-15; of obscure orig. ]