floss

Meaning

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) A thread used to clean the gaps between the teeth.
2. (countable, uncountable) Raw silk fibres.
3. (countable, uncountable) The fibres covering a corncob etc.; the loose downy or silky material inside the husks of certain plants, such as beans.
4. (countable, uncountable) Any thread-like material having parallel strands that are not spun or wound around each other.
5. (British, countable, uncountable) Spun sugar or cotton candy, especially in the phrase "candy floss".
6. (countable, uncountable) A body feather of an ostrich.
7. (countable, uncountable) 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.

Verb

1. (ambitransitive) To clean the area between (the teeth) using floss.
2. (slang) To show off, especially by exhibiting one's wealth or talent.
3. (intransitive) To perform the floss dance move.

Synonyms

dental floss

fluff

fuzz

kapok

nap

pile

scruff

scum

silk cotton

silk thread

epistasis

fine down

mockmain

scummings

vegetable silk

floss silk oak

vegetable down

bombax cotton

Ceiba fibre

down

Translations

fil dentaire

Zahnseide

fio dental

hilo dental

floş

filo interdentale

seda floja

pelusa

Seidenfaser

Maiskolbenfaser

pelussa

filo sottile

Rohseide

νήμα μεταξιού

νήμα μετάξης

Pronounced as (IPA)

/flɒs/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: *flos

Cognate with Middle English: Flosmonger

Cognate with English: fleece

Cognate with Old High German: flocko

Cognate with Middle Dutch: vlocke

Cognate with Norwegian: -

Cognate with Dutch: flos

Inherited from Middle English: flosche

Cognate with German: Floss

Cognate with Norwegian: flos

In summary

Unclear:
* Possibly from French floche (“tuft of wool”), from floc, from Old French flosche (“down, velvet”), from Latin floccus (“piece of wool”), probably from Frankish *flokkō (“down, wool, flock”), from Proto-Germanic *flukkô (“down, piece of wool, flock”), from Proto-Indo-European *plewk- (“hair, fibres, tuft”).
* Or, from Middle English *flos (attested in Middle English Flosmonger (a surname)), from Proto-West Germanic *fleus, related to English fleece.
Cognate with Old High German flocko (“down”), Middle Dutch vlocke (“flock”), Norwegian dialectal flugsa (“snowflake”), Dutch flos (“plush”) (tr=17c.).