toss

Meaning

1. A throw, a lob, of a ball etc., with an initial upward direction, particularly with a lack of care.
2. The coin toss before a cricket match in order to decide who bats first, or before a football match in order to decide the direction of play.
3. A haughty throwing up of the head.
4. (slang) Concern or consideration.
5. (slang) A state of agitation; commotion.
6. A measure of sprats.

throw

toss away

thresh about

fotune-teller

throw dice

mix in

bump along

raise one’s voice

throw aside

throw into

throw together

walk fast

stand up energetically

design

move restlessly

flap about

Frequency

Pronounced as (IPA)

/tɒs/

From Middle English tossen (“to buffet about, agitate, toss; to sift or winnow”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Old Norse (compare dialectal Norwegian tossa, dialectal Swedish tossa (“to strew, spread”)), or perhaps from an alteration of Middle English tosen (“to tease, pull apart, shred; to wound, injure”). Compare also Dutch tassen (“to pile or heap up, stack”). The Welsh tos (“a quick jerk”) and tosio (“to jerk, toss”) are probably borrowed from the English.