# boss

Pronunciation: US say "BAWS" /bɔs/; UK say "BOS" /bɒs/

## Noun

1. A person who is in charge of other people at work, such as a supervisor, manager, or the head of a business.
   - Simple: The person in charge of you at work, or the person who runs a business.
   - _Every morning the boss reviews what each worker still needs to finish._
   - _Good bosses listen to feedback from the people they manage._
2. The person who runs an organized group or team and directs its members.
   - Simple: The leader or head of a group or team.
   - _The union boss rallied members ahead of the strike vote._
   - _Police finally arrested the boss of the smuggling ring after months of watching his crew._
3. In video games, a particularly powerful enemy, often met at the end of a level, that usually must be defeated to progress.
   - Simple: A very strong enemy in a video game, often one you must beat to move on.
   - _The boss guarding the castle gate took the whole party to bring down._
   - _Players grind for better gear before challenging the final boss._
5. The person who controls a political party within a given region or district.
   - Simple: The person who controls a political party in a city or area.
   - _The city boss handpicked candidates and rewarded loyal supporters with jobs._
   - _For decades a single party boss dominated the district's elections._
6. An informal way of addressing a man, especially a customer, and sometimes a friend or equal. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A friendly way to call a man, often a customer.
   - _Right this way, boss, your table is ready._
   - _"Where to, boss?" the cab driver asked as I climbed into the back seat._
8. A raised, rounded knob or projection, such as the center of a shield, a carved knob where ceiling ribs meet, or a projecting part on a machine casting.
   - Simple: A round part that sticks out, like the middle of a shield or a knob on a machine.
   - _The mounting boss on the engine block accepts the bracket bolts._
   - _Each boss was machined to precise tolerances before assembly._
9. A humorous way of referring to one's wife, as the person who is really in charge at home.
   - Simple: A joking way to call your wife, as if she is in charge at home.
   - _"Before I agree to anything, I'll need to run it by the boss," he joked, glancing at his wife across the room._
   - _My wife is the boss at home, so she decided where we went on vacation this year._

## Verb

4. To exercise authoritative control over someone, telling them what to do, often repeatedly.
   - Simple: To keep telling someone what to do, as if you were in charge of them.
   - _She tends to boss her coworkers whenever a project falls behind schedule._
   - _He bossed the volunteers relentlessly until they finished setting up the hall._
11. To take control of a match, contest, or part of the playing area by clearly outplaying the other side. *(colloquial, UK)*
   - Simple: To control a game or part of the field by playing much better than the other side.
   - _If we can boss the midfield early on, they'll struggle to get back into the match._
   - _England were bossing the scrum for most of the first half._

## Adjective

7. Excellent; of the very best quality. *(slang, Canada, US)*
   - Simple: Really good or excellent.
   - _Their new album is boss from start to finish._
   - _We had a boss time at the festival this weekend._

## Noun

10. A hassock or low seat, especially one made from a bound bundle of straw. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A small seat or cushion, often made from a bundle of straw.

## Other meanings

- (verb) To decorate something with raised, rounded ornaments; to emboss.
- (noun) A lump-like mass of rock, especially one that projects upward through a layer of different rock.
- (noun) A roughly cut block of stone set in position so that it can be carved in place at a later stage.
- (noun) A target block, now usually made of foam but historically of straw bales, to which a target face is attached.
- (noun) A wooden tub for holding mortar during masonry or tiling work, suspended by a hook from the laths or from a ladder's rungs.
- (noun) A head or reservoir of water; a quantity of water held in store or under pressure.

## Origin

**Meanings 1–7, 9, 11** — Dutch baas, the source of the English word, comes from baes, a Middle Dutch word for "master of a household, friend." It perhaps goes back through Old Dutch to a Proto-Germanic word for "uncle" or an older male relative, and it may be related to babe, boy, and bully. In New Amsterdam it came to be used for someone in charge who was not a master.
**Meaning 8** — Proto-Germanic *bautaną ("to hit, strike, beat") gave Frankish *bottja, which led to Old French boce ("lump, bulge, protuberance, knot") and then Middle English bos. Beat is related.
**Meaning 10** — Apparently a corruption of bass or bast, the plant fiber used for mats and hassocks.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/boss (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).