Library / English Dictionary

TOSS

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

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

Example:

the pass was fumbled

Synonyms:

flip; pass; toss

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

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 2

Meaning:

An abrupt movement

Example:

a toss of his head

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

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)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The act of flipping a coin

Synonyms:

flip; toss

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

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)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Agitate

Example:

toss the salad

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

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

Sense 2

Meaning:

Throw or toss with a light motion

Example:

toss me newspaper

Synonyms:

flip; pitch; sky; toss

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

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 3

Meaning:

Throw carelessly

Example:

chuck the ball

Synonyms:

chuck; toss

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

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

Example:

The feverish patient thrashed around in his bed

Synonyms:

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

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

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:

Lightly throw to see which side comes up

Example:

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

Synonyms:

flip; toss

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

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 6

Meaning:

Throw or cast away

Example:

Put away your worries

Synonyms:

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

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

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

Credits

 Context examples: 

Now when he thought over this by night in his bed, and tossed about in his anxiety, he groaned and said to his wife: What is to become of us?

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

It was an even toss whether the shark or we would get him, and it was a matter of moments.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

He tossed a crumpled letter across to me.

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

Her eyes gleamed, and her head tossed, while the smith with his two big hands outspread seemed to be soothing her as best he could.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“Here, Jim—here's a cur'osity for you,” said Silver, and he tossed me the paper.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

"Oh, nothin'," the dark girl answered, with a toss of her head.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

I apprehended it to be a rock, and found myself tossed more than ever.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

I had lain tossing about, and had heard the clock strike only twice, when the night-watchman came to me, sent up from the ward, to say that Renfield had escaped.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

I should think you'd have known Mr. Brooke wouldn't write such stuff as that, she added, scornfully tossing down the paper.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Challenger tossed his head and shrugged his heavy shoulders.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)