boss

boss

See also: Boss, BOSS, and boß

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation): IPA^(key): /bɒs/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• (General American): IPA^(key): /bɔs/
• (cot–caught merger, Canada): IPA^(key): /bɑs/

• Audio (US cot-caught merged)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒs, -ɔːs

Etymology 1

From Dutch baas, from Middle Dutch baes (“master of a household, friend”), from Old Dutch *baso (“uncle, kinsman”), from Proto-West Germanic *baswō, from Proto-Germanic *baswô (“uncle”), perhaps from Proto-Germanic *ba-, *bō- (“father, older male relative”), source also of the English terms babe, boy, bub, bully. Cognate with Middle Low German bās (“supervisor, foreman”), Old Frisian bas (“master”), hence Saterland Frisian Boas (“boss”), Old High German basa (“father's sister, cousin”), hence German Base (“aunt, cousin”).

Originally a term of respect used to address an older relative. Later, in New Amsterdam, it began to mean a person in charge who is not a master. The representation of Dutch -aa- by English -o- is due to the older unrounded pronunciation of this letter, which is still used in North America and parts of Ireland, but was formerly found in some British accents as well.

The video game sense is borrowed from Japanese ボス (bosu).

Noun

boss (plural bosses)

1. A person who oversees and directs the work of others; a supervisor.
   • February 18, 2018, Dawn Pine, Strategies for Dealing with a Bad Boss

     we have some vindictive people as bosses, and you don’t want to be the target of their wrath.

2. A person in charge of a business or company.

   Synonym: employer

   Chat turned to whisper when the boss entered the conference room.

   My boss complains that I'm always late to work.

3. A leader, the head of an organized group or team.

   Synonyms: head, leader

   They named him boss because he had good leadership skills.

4. The head of a political party in a given region or district.

   Synonym: leader

   He is the Republican boss in Kentucky.

5. (informal, especially India and MLE) A term of address to a man.

   Yes, boss.

6. (video games) An enemy, often at the end of a level, that is particularly challenging and must be beaten in order to progress.

   Synonym: guardian

7. (humorous) Wife.

   There's no olive oil; will sunflower oil do? — I'll have to run that by the boss.

Synonyms

• (person who oversees and directs the work of others): line manager, manager, supervisor
• (informal: term of address to a man): gov/guv (UK), guvnor (UK), mate (UK)
• See also Thesaurus:boss

Derived terms

Terms derived from boss (noun, etymology 1)

• boss battle
• boss boy
• boss button
• boss-eyed
• boss fight
• boss head
• boss key
• bossless
• bossling
• boss rush
• boss up
• bossy
• fire boss
• like a boss
• midboss
• mini-boss
• miniboss
• one's own boss
• overboss
• pit-boss
• pit boss
• show someone who's boss
• show who's boss
• show who's the boss
• straw boss
• teach someone who's the boss
• teach who's boss
• teach who's the boss
• walking boss
• who died and made you boss
• you're the boss

 

Descendants

• → Cantonese: 波士
• → Japanese: ボス (bosu)
• → Indonesian: bos

Translations

supervisor

Apache: Western Apache: nantʼán Arabic: رَئِيس‎ m (raʾīs), مُدِير‎ m (mudīr) Armenian: վերակացու (hy) (verakacʿu) Baluchi: سروک‎ (sarok) Belarusian: кіраўні́к m (kiraŭník), кіраўні́ца f (kiraŭníca), нача́льнік m (načálʹnik), нача́льніца f (načálʹnica), бос m (bos), шэф m (šef), галава́ (be) m (halavá) Bulgarian: ръководи́тел (bg) m (rǎkovodítel), ръководи́телка m (rǎkovodítelka), шеф (bg) m (šef), ше́фка f (šéfka) Catalan: cap (ca) m, superior (ca) m Chinese: Mandarin: 老闆／老板 (zh) (lǎobǎn), 主管 (zh) (zhǔguǎn) Dutch: baas (nl) m, opzichter (nl) m Esperanto: mastro (eo), estro (eo) Estonian: ülemus Finnish: pomo (fi) French: patron (fr) m, chef (fr) m Georgian: , უფროსი (uprosi), ხელმძღვანელი (xelmʒɣvaneli), ბოსი (ka) (bosi), შეფი (ka) (šepi), ზედამხედველი (zedamxedveli), მეთვალყურე (metvalq̇ure) German: Chef (de) m, Chefin (de) f Greek: προϊστάμενος (el) m (proïstámenos), επιστάτης (el) m (epistátis), αφεντικό (el) n (afentikó) Hebrew: בּוֹס‎ (he) m (bos), בּוֹסִית‎‎ f (bósit) Hindi: मालिक (hi) m (mālik) Hutterisch: Wiet m Irish: bas m Italian: capo (it) m, principale (it) m Japanese: 上司 (ja) (じょうし, jōshi) Khmer: ចៅហ្វាយ (km) (caw vaay), ចាងហ្វាង (caang vaang) Korean: 상관(上官) (ko) (sanggwan), 상사(上司) (sangsa) Lao: ນາຽ (nāi), ຕົ້ນ (ton) Latin: dominus (la) m, ipsimus m, ipsima f Latvian: vadītājs (lv) m, vadītāja f Lithuanian: vadõvas m, vadovė f, viršininkas m, viršininkė f Macedonian: шеф m (šef), шефица f (šefica), раководител m (rakovoditel), раководителка f (rakovoditelka) Manx: ard-er m, ard-ghooinney m Occitan: cap (oc) m Persian: رئیس‎ (fa) (ra'is), مدیر‎ (fa) (modir) Plautdietsch: Bauss m Polish: brygadzista (pl) m, kierownik (pl) m, kierowniczka (pl) f, szef (pl) m, szefowa (pl) f Portuguese: supervisor (pt) m, chefe (pt) m or f, capataz (pt) m or f Russian: руководи́тель (ru) m (rukovodítelʹ), руководи́тельница (ru) f (rukovodítelʹnica), шеф (ru) m (šef), босс (ru) m (boss), нача́льник (ru) m (načálʹnik), нача́льница (ru) f (načálʹnica), патро́н (ru) m (patrón) Scottish Gaelic: ceannard m Spanish: jefe (es) m, jefa (es) f, patrón (es) m Swedish: chef (sv) c, boss (sv) c, förman (sv) c, bas (sv) c Thai: นายงาน (th) (naai-ngaan), นายจ้าง (th) (naai-jâang), นาย (th) (naai), หัวหน้า (th) (hǔua-nâa), บอส (th) (bɔ́ɔt) Ukrainian: керівни́к (uk) m (kerivnýk), керівни́ця f (kerivnýcja), нача́льник m (načálʹnyk), нача́льниця f (načálʹnycja), шеф m (šef), бос (uk) m (bos), голова́ (uk) m (holová) Urdu: مالِک‎ m (mālik) Vietnamese: ông chủ (vi), thủ trưởng (vi)

person in charge

Albanian: shef (sq) m Apache: Western Apache: nantʼán Arabic: رَئِيس‎ m (raʾīs), مُدِير‎ m (mudīr), رَئِيسَة‎ f (raʾīsa), مُدِيرَة‎ f (mudīra) Asturian: xefe m Baluchi: سروک‎ (sarok) Belarusian: нача́льнiк m (načálʹnik), нача́льнiца f (načálʹnica), шэф m (šef) Bulgarian: шеф (bg) m (šef), ше́фка f (šéfka), работода́тел (bg) m (rabotodátel), работода́телка f (rabotodátelka) Catalan: patró (ca) m, cap (ca) m Chichewa: bwana Chinese: Cantonese: 老細, 老细, 老世 (yue) (lou5 sai3), 老闆, 老板 (lou5 baan2), 波士 (yue) (bo1 si6-2) Mandarin: 老闆／老板 (zh) (lǎobǎn), 主管 (zh) (zhǔguǎn) Min Nan: 頭家 (zh-min-nan), 头家 (thâu-ke) Crimean Tatar: baş Czech: šéf (cs) m, šéfka (cs) f Danish: chef (da) c Dutch: baas (nl) m, bazin (nl) f, chef (nl) m Esperanto: ĉefo (eo), ĉefulo Estonian: ülemus, boss (et) Finnish: johtaja (fi), pomo (fi) (informal) French: patron (fr) m, chef (fr) m Friulian: cap m Galician: xefe (gl) m, xefa f Georgian: , უფროსი (uprosi), ხელმძღვანელი (xelmʒɣvaneli), ბოსი (ka) (bosi), შეფი (ka) (šepi) German: Chef (de) m, Chefin (de) f Greek: αφεντικό (el) n (afentikó) Hebrew: בּוֹס‎ (he) m (bós), בּוֹסִית‎‎ f (bósit) Hindi: मालिक (hi) m (mālik) Hungarian: főnök (hu) Icelandic: stjóri m Indonesian: bos (id) Interlingua: chef Irish: bas m Italian: capo (it) m, padrone (it) m Japanese: 上司 (ja) (じょうし, jōshi), 長 (ja) (ちょう, chō), ボス (bosu) Jarai: khua Khmer: ចៅហ្វាយ (km) (caw vaay), ចាងហ្វាង (caang vaang) Korean: 상사(上司) (sangsa), 보스 (boseu) Lao: ເຈົ້ານາຍ (chao nāi) Latin: dominus (la) m, domina (la), ipsimus m, ipsima f Latvian: šefs m, vadītājs (lv) m, vadītāja f Lithuanian: vadõvas m, vadovė f, šefas m, viršininkas m, viršininkė f Macedonian: раководител m (rakovoditel), раководителка f (rakovoditelka) Malay: bos Manx: ard-er m, ard-ghooinney m Maori: pāhi Navajo: bóhólníhígíí Norwegian: Bokmål: sjef (no) m Occitan: cap (oc) m, capa (oc) f, patron (oc) m Ojibwe: ogimaa Persian: مدیر‎ (fa) (modir), کارفرما‎ (fa) (kârfarmâ) Plautdietsch: Bauss m Polish: szef (pl) m, szefowa (pl) f, naczelnik (pl) m, naczelniczka f Portuguese: chefe (pt) m or f Romanian: șef (ro) m, șefă (ro) f Romansch: schef m, scheffa f Russian: шеф (ru) m (šef), босс (ru) m (boss), нача́льник (ru) m (načálʹnik), нача́льница (ru) f (načálʹnica) Scottish Gaelic: ceannard m Serbo-Croatian: Cyrillic: га̏зда m (informal) Roman: gȁzda (sh) m (informal) Slovak: šéf m, šéfka f Slovene: šef m, šefica f Spanish: jefe (es) m, jefa (es) f Swahili: bwana Swedish: chef (sv) c Tajik: сардор (sardor), мудир (tg) (mudir) Thai: เจ้านาย (th) (jâo-naai), นาย (th) (naai) Turkish: patron (tr), amir (tr), müdür (tr), şef (tr) Ukrainian: нача́льник m (načálʹnyk), нача́льниця f (načálʹnycja), шеф m (šef) Urdu: مالک‎ m (mālik)

leader, head of an organised team

Bulgarian: ръководи́тел (bg) m (rǎkovodítel), ръководи́телка m (rǎkovodítelka) Catalan: cap (ca) m or f, patró (ca) m Chinese: Mandarin: 頭兒／头儿 (zh) (tóur) (colloquial), 領導／领导 (zh) (lǐngdǎo), 領隊／领队 (zh) (lǐngduì) Esperanto: mastro (eo) Finnish: pomo (fi), johtaja (fi) French: chef (fr) m, patron (fr) m Georgian: ხელმძღვანელი (xelmʒɣvaneli) Greek: αρχηγός (el) m or f (archigós) Latin: dominus (la) m Macedonian: раководител m (rakovoditel), раководителка f (rakovoditelka) Manx: ard-er m, ard-ghooinney m Ojibwe: ogimaa Russian: руководи́тель (ru) m (rukovodítelʹ), руководи́тельница (ru) f (rukovodítelʹnica) Scottish Gaelic: ceannard m Thai: หัวหน้า (th) (hǔua-nâa), บอส (th) (bɔ́ɔt)

head of a political party

Apache: Western Apache: nantʼán Bulgarian: ли́дер (bg) m (líder) Chinese: Mandarin: 大佬 (zh) (dàlǎo) Crimean Tatar: baş Finnish: johtaja (fi) Georgian: ლიდერი (lideri) Greek: αρχηγός (el) m or f (archigós) Latin: dominus (la) Macedonian: лидер m (lider) Portuguese: líder (pt) m or f Russian: ли́дер (ru) m (líder), вождь (ru) m (voždʹ) Scottish Gaelic: ceannard m Thai: หัวหน้า (th) (hǔua-nâa)

term of address to a man

French: patron (fr) m, chef (fr) m Latin: dominus (la) m Macedonian: шефе (šefe) (vocative) Polish: szef (pl) m Portuguese: chefe (pt) m Russian: шеф (ru) m (šef)

enemy in video game

Dutch: baas (nl) m, eindbaas m Esperanto: estro (eo) Finnish: päävihollinen, pääkkä (informal) French: boss (fr) c Hungarian: fő ellenség Italian: boss (it) c Japanese: ボス (bosu) Khmer: មេ (km) (mee) Macedonian: кралица f (kralica) Norwegian: Bokmål: boss m Portuguese: chefe (pt) m (Brazil), chefão (pt) m (Brazil), guardião (pt) m Romanian: boss (ro) m (informal) Russian: босс (ru) m (boss) Spanish: jefe (es) m Swedish: boss (sv) c Thai: บอส (th) (bɔ́ɔt)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Southern Thai: (please verify) นายหัว Thai: (please verify) หัวหน้า (th) (hǔua-nâa) Turkish: (please verify) ağa (tr)

Verb

boss (third-person singular simple present bosses, present participle bossing, simple past and past participle bossed)

1. (transitive) To exercise authoritative control over; to tell (someone) what to do, often repeatedly.

   Synonyms: lord over, boss around

   • 1931, Robert L. May, Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer, Montgomery Ward (publisher):

     By YOU last night’s journey was actually bossed / Without you, I’m certain, we’d all have been lost.

   • 1932, Lorine Pruette, The Parent and the Happy Child, page 76

     His sisters bossed him and spoiled him. All their lives he was to go on being their little brother, who could do no wrong, because he was the baby; [...]

   • 1967, Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, The purloined paperweight, page 90

     She bossed him, and he's never gotten over it. She still orders him around, and instead of telling her to go soak her head, he just says 'Yes, ma'am' as weak as a newborn jellyfish [...]

   • 1980, Jean Toomer The wayward and the seeking: a collection of writings by Jean Toomer, page 40

     For if, on the one hand, I bossed him and showed him what to do and how to do it, [...]

   • 2021 June 14, Scott Mullen, “Scotland 0-2 Czech Republic”, in BBC Sport‎:

     Clarke was undoubtedly made to change things and for spells, the Czechs bossed the game. Scotland's midfield was nullified, Dykes struggled to hold the ball up while, barring a small handful of forays by Robertson, there was a distinct lack of width from the Scots.

Derived terms

• boss about, boss around, overboss

Translations

to exercise authority over (someone)

Bulgarian: разпореждам се (razporeždam se) Chinese: Mandarin: 督責／督责 (zh) (dūzé) Finnish: pomottaa (fi), komennella (fi) Italian: comandare (it) Russian: ука́зывать (ru) impf (ukázyvatʹ), распоряжа́ться (ru) impf (rasporjažátʹsja), кома́ндовать (ru) impf (komándovatʹ) Spanish: dirigir (es), mandar (es) Swedish: bossa

Adjective

boss (not comparable)

1. (slang, US, Canada, Liverpudlian) Of excellent quality, first-rate.

   That is a boss Zefron poster.

Etymology 2

From Middle English bos, bose, boce, from Old French boce (“lump, bulge, protuberance, knot”), from Frankish *bottja, from Proto-Germanic *bautaną (“to hit, strike, beat”). Doublet of beat; see there for more.

Noun

boss (plural bosses)

1. A swelling, lump or protuberance in an animal, person or object.

   Coordinate term: tuberosity

   1. (geology) A lump-like mass of rock, especially one projecting through a stratum of different rock.
   2. A convex protuberance in hammered work, especially the rounded projection in the centre of a shield.
   3. (mechanics) A protrusion, frequently a cylinder of material that extends beyond a hole.
      • 1985, Cormac McCarthy, chapter IV, in Blood Meridian […] , OCLC 234287599:

        The seargent […] screwing a bipod into the threaded boss on the underside of the barrel would kill these animals […]

   4. (architecture) A knob or projection, usually at the intersection of ribs in a vault.
2. (archery) A target block, made of foam but historically made of hay bales, to which a target face is attached.
3. A wooden vessel for the mortar used in tiling or masonry, hung by a hook from the laths, or from the rounds of a ladder.
   • 1842, Peter Nicholson, The Mechanic's Companion:

     Boss, a short trough for holding water, when tiling the roof

4. A head or reservoir of water.

Derived terms

• bosslike
• emboss

Translations

projection in centre of shield

German: Buckel (de) m Italian: umbone (it) m Latin: umbō f Old English: randbēag m

mechanics: a protrusion

Bulgarian: изпъкналост (bg) f (izpǎknalost), издатина (bg) f (izdatina) German: Bund (de) m, Kragen (de) m, Überstand m, Vorsprung (de) m, Stulp m, Sockel (de) m Russian: вы́ступ (ru) m (výstup)

architecture: knob or protrusion

Bulgarian: релеф (bg) m (relef), розетка (bg) f (rozetka) French: clé de voûte (fr) f German: Abhängling m, Schlußstein (de) m, Schlussstein (de) m, Knoten (de) m, Knauf (de) m, Hängezapfen m Italian: bugna (it) f

Verb

boss (third-person singular simple present bosses, present participle bossing, simple past and past participle bossed)

1. (transitive) To decorate with bosses; to emboss.

Etymology 3

Apparently a corruption of bass.

Noun

boss (plural bosses)

1. (obsolete) A hassock or small seat, especially made from a bundle of straw.
   • 1916, James Joyce, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Macmillan Press Ltd, paperback, 36:

     All were waiting : uncle Charles, who sat far away in the shadow of the window, Dante and Mr Casey, who sat in the easy chairs at either side of the hearth, Stephen, seated on a chair between them, his feet resting on a toasting boss.

Synonyms

• (hassock or footrest): footrest, hassock

Translations

a hassock or footrest

German: Sitzkissen (de) n, Polsterhocker m, Fußstütze (de) f

Anagrams

• BSOs, SOBs, sobs

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French

Etymology

Borrowed from English boss.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɔs/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

boss m or f by sense (plural boss or bosses)

1. boss (leader)
2. (video games) boss

Further reading

• “boss”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

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Italian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English boss.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɔs/
• Rhymes: -ɔs
• Hyphenation: bòss

Noun

boss m (invariable)

1. boss (leader of a business, company or criminal organization)

   Synonym: capo

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Norwegian Bokmål

Alternative forms

• bøss

Noun

boss n (definite singular bosset, uncountable)

1. garbage, rubbish, trash (leftover waste to be discarded)

Usage notes

Used mainly in the Bergen region.

Noun

boss m (definite singular bossen, indefinite plural bosser, definite plural bossene)

1. (colloquial) boss, supervisor (someone who oversees work)
2. boss (final enemy in a video game)

---

Norwegian Nynorsk

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɔsː/

Noun

boss n (definite singular bosset, uncountable)

1. alternative form of bos

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Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from English boss, from Dutch baas, from Middle Dutch baes, from Old Dutch *baso, from Proto-Germanic *baswô.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɔs/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔs
• Syllabification: boss

Noun

boss m pers

1. (colloquial) boss (supervisor)

   Synonyms: szef, zwierzchnik

2. (video games) boss (enemy in a video game)

Declension

Declension of boss

	singular	plural
nominative	boss	bossowie
genitive	bossa	bossów
dative	bossowi	bossom
accusative	bossa	bossów
instrumental	bossem	bossami
locative	bossie	bossach
vocative	bossie	bossowie

Further reading

• boss in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• boss in Polish dictionaries at PWN

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Romanian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English boss.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bos/

Noun

boss m (uncountable)

1. boss

   Synonym: șef

Declension

declension of boss (singular only)

	singular
m gender	indefinite articulation	definite articulation
nominative/accusative	(un) boss	bossul
genitive/dative	(unui) boss	bossului
vocative	bossule

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Swedish

Etymology

Borrowed from English boss.

Noun

boss c

1. (video games) boss; final enemy
2. (colloquial) boss, supervisor; someone who oversees work

   Synonym: chef

Declension

Declension of boss
	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	boss	bossen	bossar	bossarna
Genitive	boss	bossens	bossars	bossarnas

Hyponyms

• (video games): mellanboss (“miniboss”), miniboss (“miniboss”), nivåboss (“level boss”), slutboss (“final boss”)

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Tagalog

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbos/, [ˈbos]

Noun

boss

1. Alternative spelling of bos