doss
English
Pronunciation
- (General American) IPA(key): /dɔs/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /dɒs/
- (cot–caught merger, Canada) IPA(key): /dɑs/
Audio (AU) (file) - Rhymes: -ɒs, -ɔːs
Etymology
Perhaps from Latin dorsum (“the back”), i.e. what one lies on when sleeping; perhaps from English dialect doss (“a hassock”).
Verb
doss (third-person singular simple present dosses, present participle dossing, simple past and past participle dossed)
- (intransitive, Britain and Ireland) To avoid work, shirk, etc.
- I am going to doss tomorrow when the match is on.
- (intransitive, Britain, slang) To sleep in the open or in a derelict building because one is homeless
- I normally have to doss in shop doorways or park benches.
Noun
doss (countable and uncountable, plural dosses)
- (slang) The avoidance of work.
- I am going to have a doss tomorrow.
- (slang) An easy piece of work.
- Circumnavigating the world in a canoe is no doss.
- (slang, dated) A place to sleep in; a bed.
- (slang, dated, by extension) Sleep.
Adjective
doss (not comparable)
- (Scotland) Useless or lazy. Generally combined with expletive noun, especially cunt.
- Get a hauld o yersel, ye doss cunt!
- (Scotland) Good, desirable.
- The place is pure doss, like.
See also
- doss about
- doss around
- doss down
- doss-house
- doss off
- dosser
Anagrams
- DSOs, SDOs, dsos, sods