TOSS

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does toss mean? 

• TOSS (noun)
  The noun TOSS has 3 senses:

1. the act of flipping a coin

2. (sports) the act of throwing the ball to another member of your team

3. an abrupt movement

  Familiarity information: TOSS used as a noun is uncommon.

• TOSS (verb)
  The verb TOSS has 6 senses:

1. throw or toss with a light motion

2. lightly throw to see which side comes up

3. throw carelessly

4. move or stir about violently

5. throw or cast away

6. agitate

  Familiarity information: TOSS used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• TOSS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The act of flipping a coin

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

flip; toss

Hypernyms ("toss" is a kind of...):

throw (casting an object in order to determine an outcome randomly)

Derivation:

toss (lightly throw to see which side comes up)

Sense 2

Meaning:

(sports) the act of throwing the ball to another member of your team

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

flip; pass; toss

Context example:

the pass was fumbled

Hypernyms ("toss" is a kind of...):

throw (the act of throwing (propelling something with a rapid movement of the arm and wrist))

Domain category:

athletics; sport (an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "toss"):

centering; snap ((American football) putting the ball in play by passing it (between the legs) to a back)

Derivation:

toss (throw or toss with a light motion)

toss (throw carelessly)

Sense 3

Meaning:

An abrupt movement

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Context example:

a toss of his head

Hypernyms ("toss" is a kind of...):

motility; motion; move; movement (a change of position that does not entail a change of location)

Derivation:

toss (move or stir about violently)

• TOSS (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they toss    ... he / she / it tosses   
Past simple: tossed   
Past participle: tossed   
-ing form: tossing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Throw or toss with a light motion

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

flip; pitch; sky; toss

Context example:

toss me newspaper

Hypernyms (to "toss" is one way to...):

fling (throw with force or recklessness)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "toss"):

submarine (throw with an underhand motion)

lag (throw or pitch at a mark, as with coins)

throw back; toss back (throw back with a quick, light motion)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Sentence example:

The children toss the ball

Derivation:

toss ((sports) the act of throwing the ball to another member of your team)

tosser (someone who throws lightly (as with the palm upward))

Sense 2

Meaning:

Lightly throw to see which side comes up

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

flip; toss

Context example:

I don't know what to do--I may as well flip a coin!

Hypernyms (to "toss" is one way to...):

turn (change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

They toss the coin

Derivation:

toss (the act of flipping a coin)

tosser (someone who throws lightly (as with the palm upward))

Sense 3

Meaning:

Throw carelessly

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

chuck; toss

Context example:

chuck the ball

Hypernyms (to "toss" is one way to...):

throw (propel through the air)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Sentence example:

The children toss the ball

Derivation:

toss ((sports) the act of throwing the ball to another member of your team)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Move or stir about violently

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

convulse; jactitate; slash; thrash; thrash about; thresh; thresh about; toss

Context example:

The feverish patient thrashed around in his bed

Hypernyms (to "toss" is one way to...):

agitate; shake (move or cause to move back and forth)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "toss"):

whip (thrash about flexibly in the manner of a whiplash)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Derivation:

toss (an abrupt movement)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Throw or cast away

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

cast aside; cast away; cast out; chuck out; discard; dispose; fling; put away; throw away; throw out; toss; toss away; toss out

Context example:

Put away your worries

Hypernyms (to "toss" is one way to...):

get rid of; remove (dispose of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "toss"):

close out (terminate by selling off or disposing of)

de-access (dispose of by selling)

liquidize; sell out; sell up (sell or get rid of all one's merchandise)

abandon (forsake, leave behind)

retire (dispose of (something no longer useful or needed))

dump (throw away as refuse)

waste (get rid of)

junk; scrap; trash (dispose of (something useless or old))

jettison (throw away, of something encumbering)

deep-six; give it the deep six (toss out; get rid of)

unlearn (discard something previously learnt, like an old habit)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 6

Meaning:

Agitate

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

toss the salad

Hypernyms (to "toss" is one way to...):

agitate; commove; disturb; raise up; shake up; stir up; vex (change the arrangement or position of)

"Toss" entails doing...:

amalgamate; commix; mingle; mix; unify (to bring or combine together or with something else)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "toss"):

tumble (put clothes in a tumbling barrel, where they are whirled about in hot air, usually with the purpose of drying)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sentence example:

The chefs toss the vegetables

 Context examples 

But there came a time when the god refused to toss it.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

He tossed it forward on to the table.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

And then their uncle comes in, and tosses them up to the ceiling in a very frightful way!

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

Fresh editions of every paper had been sent up by our news agent, only to be glanced over and tossed down into a corner.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“There's a friend!” murmured Mr. Peggotty, with a grave toss of his head.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

"I'll tell him," she replied, with a toss of her head.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

He walked up to another tree, as he spoke, but its branches immediately seized him and tossed him back again.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

Oh! it does happen very often, I assure you; but my sister makes nothing of it; she would as lieve be tossed out as not.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

It is a toss of the head and a droop of the eyes if I say one word of what is in my mind.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I thought of Holmes tossing upon his bed of sickness and counting the minutes, perhaps, until I could bring help to him.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)