floss Meaning & Definition
What Does Floss Mean?
As a noun, floss means A thread used to clean the gaps between the teeth. It is also used to mean Raw silk fibres. As a verb, it means To clean the area between (the teeth) using floss.
Floss: Key Facts
| Part of speech | noun, verb |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /flɒs/ |
| Synonyms | dental floss |
| Plural | flosses |
| Verb forms | flosses, flossing, flossed |
Floss Definition (Noun)
- A thread used to clean the gaps between the teeth.
- Raw silk fibres.
- The fibres covering a corncob etc.; the loose downy or silky material inside the husks of certain plants, such as beans.
- Any thread-like material having parallel strands that are not spun or wound around each other.
embroidery floss
- Spun sugar or cotton candy, especially in the phrase "candy floss".
- A body feather of an ostrich.
Flosses are soft, and grey from the female and black from the male.
- A dance move in which the dancer repeatedly swings their arms, with clenched fists, from the back of their body to the front, on each side.
Floss as a Verb
- To clean the area between (the teeth) using floss.
I don't floss very often.
- To show off, especially by exhibiting one's wealth or talent.
- To perform the floss dance move.
Noun
- A small stream of water.
- Fluid glass floating on iron in the puddling furnace, produced by the vitrification of oxides and earths which are present.
Noun
- The common rush (Juncus effusus).
Synonyms of Floss
Floss synonyms and antonyms →Floss in a Sentence
embroidery floss
Flosses are soft, and grey from the female and black from the male.
I don't floss very often.
I floss my teeth twice a day.
Word Forms & Grammar
floss (countable and uncountable, plural flosses)
floss (third-person singular simple present flosses, present participle flossing, simple past and past participle flossed)
floss (plural flosses)
Words That Rhyme With Floss
Origin of Floss
Origin 1: Unclear:
Origin 2: Cognate with Old High German flocko (“down”), Middle Dutch vlocke (“flock”), Norwegian dialectal flugsa (“snowflake”), Dutch flos (“plush”) (tr=17c.).
Origin 3: From dialectal flosh (“a flush, stream of water, sluice”), from Middle English flosche, flusche, flasche, flaske (“a watery or marshy place, swamp”), perhaps from Old French flache, from Middle Dutch vlacke (“a flat area, plain”), ultimately related to Proto-West Germanic *fleutan. Compare also German Floss (“a float”).
Origin 4: Origin obscure. Perhaps of North Germanic origin. Compare Norwegian flos, flus (“rind, scale, strip peeled off”).
Quick Answers About Floss
Is floss a noun or a verb?
Floss is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb.
What is another word for floss?
You can replace floss with words such as dental floss. See the full list of floss synonyms and antonyms.
What is the plural of floss?
The plural of floss is flosses.
What is the past tense of floss?
The past tense of floss is flossed. The present participle is flossing.