toss Hear it!

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toss definition

toss (tôs, täs)

transitive verb

  1. to throw or pitch about; fling here and there; buffet a boat tossed by a storm
  2. ☆ to mix lightly the parts or ingredients of (esp. a salad)
  3. to disturb; agitate; disquiet
  4. to throw (in various senses); specif., to throw upward, lightly and easily, from the hand
  5. to throw in or bandy (ideas, remarks, etc.)
  6. to lift quickly; jerk upward tossing her head in disdain
  7. to toss up with (someone for something): see phrase below

Etymology: prob. < Scand, as in Norw dial. tossa, to spread, strew; akin to MLowG tōsen, to tear, ME (to)tusen, to pull to pieces < IE base *dā(i)-, to part, tear > tease

intransitive verb

  1. to be flung to and fro; be thrown about or pitched about
  2. to fling oneself about in sleep, etc.; be restless in bed
  3. to move or go impatiently, angrily, or disdainfully, as with a toss of the head
  4. to toss up: see phrase below

noun

  1. a tossing or being tossed; a throw, fling, pitch, etc.
  2. tossup (sense )
  3. the distance that something is or can be tossed

Related Forms:

toss Idioms

toss off

  1. to make, do, write, etc. quickly, casually, and without effort
  2. to drink up in one draft

toss up

to toss a coin for deciding something according to which side lands uppermost

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

idioms toss idiom

toss Synonyms

toss

v.

  1. To throw easily

    hurl, fling, cast; see throw 1.

  2. To move up and down

    bob, buffet, stir, move restlessly, tumble, pitch, roll, heave, sway, flounder, rock, wobble, undulate, swing, rise and fall; see also wave 3. See syn. study at throw.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

toss Usage Examples

Object

  • caber: In fact, in the junior heavies, there were more girls prepared to toss the caber than there were boys!

Converse of object

  • win: He won the toss, Gold Bats skipper Bob Miller not at all put out on being invited to bat.

Preposition: into

  • salad: A few lakes, lagoons, gorges and mountain passes are then tossed into this scenic salad for extra garnish.

Modifying Another Word

  • carelessly: Flowers had been pulled from the wreaths and the marker cross carelessly tossed behind some other graves.

Followed by an intransitive particle

  • aside: Fishing boats came to rest, tossed aside like old shoes.

Followed by a transitive particle

  • aside: They are the builders who tossed aside the stone that turned out to be the most important one of all.

Infinitive complement

  • decide: The Play A coin is tossed to decide who throws first.

Preposition: in

  • flour: Wash the filets clean, then toss in the seasoned flour to cover both sides.

Preposition: of

  • coin: Will you stand by the toss of the coin?
toss usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

toss quotes

Now the great winds shorewards blow; Now the salt tides seawards flow; Now the wild white horses play, Champ and chafe and toss in the spray.

-Arnold, Matthew

Let him be rich and weary, that at least, If goodness lead him not, yet weariness May toss him to My breast.

-Herbert, George

toss quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"toss." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/toss>

APA Style

toss. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/toss

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