boss

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• Received-Pronunciation: /bɒs/
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• General-American, Multicultural-London-English: /bɔs/ without the cot–caught merger
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• General-American, cot-caught-merger: /bɑs/
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• Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• UK: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• US: cot-caught Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• rhymes with -ɒs
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• rhymes with -ɔːs
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• General-American: /bɔs/
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• cot-caught-merger: /bɑs/
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• CMU ARPABET: B AA1 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
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• CMU ARPABET 2: B AO1 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
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Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bhā- Proto-Germanic *bō-? Proto-Germanic *baswô Proto-West Germanic *baswō Old Dutch *baso Middle Dutch baes Dutch baasbor. English boss Borrowed from Dutch baas, from Middle Dutch baes (“master of a household, friend”), from Old Dutch *baso (“uncle, kinsman”), from Proto-West Germanic *baswō, from Proto-Germanic *baswô (“uncle”), perhaps from Proto-Germanic *ba-, *bō- (“father, older male relative”), source also of the English terms babe, boy, bub, bully. Cognate with Middle Low German bās (“supervisor, foreman”), Old Frisian bas (“master”), hence Saterland Frisian Boas (“boss”), Old High German basa (“father's sister, cousin”), hence German Base (“aunt, cousin”). Originally a term of respect used to address an older relative. Later, in New Amsterdam, it began to mean a person in charge who is not a master. The video game sense is borrowed from Japanese ボス (bosu), borrowed from English boss.

From Middle English bos, bose, boce, from Old French boce (“lump, bulge, protuberance, knot”), from Frankish *bottja, from Proto-Germanic *bautaną (“to hit, strike, beat”). Doublet of beat; see there for more.

Apparently a corruption of bast.

410 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Western Apache: nantʼán — supervisor
• Arabic: رَئِيس (raʔīs) — supervisor
• Arabic: رَئِيسَة (raʔīsa) — supervisor
• Arabic: مُدِير (mudīr) — supervisor
• Arabic: مُدِيرَة (mudīra) — supervisor
• Armenian: վերակացու (verakacʻu) — supervisor
• Baluchi: سروک (sarok) — supervisor
• Belarusian: кіраўні́к (kirawník) — supervisor
• Belarusian: кіраўні́ца (kirawníca) — supervisor
• Belarusian: нача́льнік (načálʹnik) — supervisor
• Belarusian: нача́льніца (načálʹnica) — supervisor
• Belarusian: бос (bos) — supervisor
• Belarusian: шэф (šef) — supervisor
• Belarusian: галава́ (halavá) — supervisor
• Bulgarian: ръководи́тел (rǎkovodítel) — supervisor
• Bulgarian: ръководи́телка (rǎkovodítelka) — supervisor
• Bulgarian: шеф (šef) — supervisor
• Bulgarian: ше́фка (šéfka) — supervisor
• Catalan: cap — supervisor
• Catalan: superior — supervisor
• Chinese Cantonese: 事頭 /事头 — supervisor
• Chinese Cantonese: 老細 /老细 (lou5 sai3) — supervisor
• Chinese Cantonese: 老闆 /老板 (lou5 baan2) — supervisor
• Chinese Cantonese: 主管 (zyu2 gun2) — supervisor
• Chinese Mandarin: 老闆 /老板 (lǎobǎn) — supervisor
• Chinese Mandarin: 主管 (zhǔguǎn) — supervisor
• Dutch: baas — supervisor
• Dutch: opzichter — supervisor
• Esperanto: mastro — supervisor
• Esperanto: estro — supervisor
• Estonian: ülemus — supervisor
• Finnish: pomo — supervisor
• French: patron — supervisor
• French: chef — supervisor
• Georgian: უფროსი (uprosi) — supervisor
• Georgian: ხელმძღვანელი (xelmʒɣvaneli) — supervisor
• Georgian: ბოსი (bosi) — supervisor
• Georgian: შეფი (šepi) — supervisor
• Georgian: ზედამხედველი (zedamxedveli) — supervisor
• Georgian: მეთვალყურე (metvalq̇ure) — supervisor
• German: Chef — supervisor
• German: Chefin — supervisor
• Greek: προϊστάμενος (proïstámenos) — supervisor
• Greek: επιστάτης (epistátis) — supervisor
• Greek: αφεντικό (afentikó) — supervisor
• Hebrew: בּוֹס (bos) — supervisor
• Hebrew: בּוֹסִית (bósit) — supervisor
• Hindi: मालिक (mālik) — supervisor
• Hungarian: főnök — supervisor
• Hungarian: főnöknő — supervisor
• Hutterisch: Wiet — supervisor
• Ingrian: päämees — supervisor
• Ingrian: päänikka — supervisor
• Irish: bas — supervisor
• Italian: capo — supervisor
• Italian: principale — supervisor
• Japanese: 上司 (jōshi) — supervisor
• Khmer: ចៅហ្វាយ (caw vaay) — supervisor
• Khmer: ចាងហ្វាង (caang vaang) — supervisor
• Korean: 상관 (sanggwan) — supervisor
• Korean: 상사 (sangsa) — supervisor
• Lao: ນາຽ (nāi) — supervisor
• Lao: ຕົ້ນ (ton) — supervisor
• Latin: dominus — supervisor
• Latin: ipsimus — supervisor
• Latin: ipsima — supervisor
• Latvian: vadītājs — supervisor
• Latvian: vadītāja — supervisor
• Lithuanian: vadõvas — supervisor
• Lithuanian: vadovė — supervisor
• Lithuanian: viršininkas — supervisor
• Lithuanian: viršininkė — supervisor
• Macedonian: шеф (šef) — supervisor
• Macedonian: шефица (šefica) — supervisor
• Macedonian: раководител (rakovoditel) — supervisor
• Macedonian: раководителка (rakovoditelka) — supervisor
• Manx: ard-er — supervisor
• Manx: ard-ghooinney — supervisor
• Miami: aahkohkinkia — supervisor
• Occitan: cap — supervisor
• Iranian Persian: رَئیس (ra'is) — supervisor
• Iranian Persian: مُدیر (modir) — supervisor
• Plautdietsch: Bauss — supervisor
• Polish: brygadzista — supervisor
• Polish: kierownik — supervisor
• Polish: kierowniczka — supervisor
• Polish: szef — supervisor
• Polish: szefowa — supervisor
• Portuguese: supervisor — supervisor
• Portuguese: chefe — supervisor
• Portuguese: capataz — supervisor
• Russian: руководи́тель (rukovodítelʹ) — supervisor
• Russian: руководи́тельница (rukovodítelʹnica) — supervisor
• Russian: шеф (šef) — supervisor
• Russian: босс (boss) — supervisor
• Russian: нача́льник (načálʹnik) — supervisor
• Russian: нача́льница (načálʹnica) — supervisor
• Russian: патро́н (patrón) — supervisor
• Scottish Gaelic: ceannard — supervisor
• Spanish: jefe — supervisor
• Spanish: jefa — supervisor
• Spanish: patrón — supervisor
• Spanish: patrono — supervisor
• Swedish: chef — supervisor
• Swedish: boss — supervisor
• Swedish: förman — supervisor
• Swedish: bas — supervisor
• Tajik: мудир (mudir) — supervisor
• Thai: นายงาน (naai-ngaan) — supervisor
• Thai: นายจ้าง (naai-jâang) — supervisor
• Thai: นาย (naai) — supervisor
• Thai: หัวหน้า (hǔua-nâa) — supervisor
• Thai: บอส (bɔ́ɔt) — supervisor
• Ukrainian: керівни́к (kerivnýk) — supervisor
• Ukrainian: керівни́ця (kerivnýcja) — supervisor
• Ukrainian: нача́льник (načálʹnyk) — supervisor
• Ukrainian: нача́льниця (načálʹnycja) — supervisor
• Ukrainian: шеф (šef) — supervisor
• Ukrainian: бос (bos) — supervisor
• Ukrainian: голова́ (holová) — supervisor
• Urdu: مالِک (mālik) — supervisor
• Vietnamese: ông chủ — supervisor
• Vietnamese: thủ trưởng — supervisor
• Záparo: akamínu — supervisor
• Albanian: shef — person in charge
• Aleut: tukux̂ — person in charge
• Western Apache: nantʼán — person in charge
• Arabic: رَئِيس (raʔīs) — person in charge
• Arabic: رَئِيسَة (raʔīsa) — person in charge
• Arabic: مُدِير (mudīr) — person in charge
• Arabic: مُدِيرَة (mudīra) — person in charge
• Asturian: xefe — person in charge
• Baluchi: سروک (sarok) — person in charge
• Belarusian: нача́льнiк (načálʹnik) — person in charge
• Belarusian: нача́льнiца (načálʹnica) — person in charge
• Belarusian: шэф (šef) — person in charge
• Bulgarian: шеф (šef) — person in charge
• Bulgarian: ше́фка (šéfka) — person in charge
• Bulgarian: работода́тел (rabotodátel) — person in charge
• Bulgarian: работода́телка (rabotodátelka) — person in charge
• Bulgarian: началник (načálnik) — person in charge
• Bulgarian: началница (načálnica) — person in charge
• Bulgarian: началничка (načálnička) — person in charge
• Catalan: patró — person in charge
• Catalan: cap — person in charge
• Chichewa: bwana — person in charge
• Chinese Cantonese: 老細 /老世 /老细 (lou5 sai3) — person in charge
• Chinese Cantonese: 老闆 /老板 (lou5 baan2) — person in charge
• Chinese Cantonese: 波士 — person in charge
• Chinese: 頭家 /头家 (zh-min-nan) — person in charge
• Chinese Mandarin: 老闆 /老板 (lǎobǎn) — person in charge
• Chinese Mandarin: 主管 (zhǔguǎn) — person in charge
• Crimean Tatar: baş — person in charge
• Czech: šéf — person in charge
• Czech: šéfka — person in charge
• Danish: chef — person in charge
• Dutch: baas — person in charge
• Dutch: bazin — person in charge
• Dutch: chef — person in charge
• Esperanto: ĉefo — person in charge
• Esperanto: ĉefulo — person in charge
• Estonian: ülemus — person in charge
• Estonian: boss — person in charge
• Finnish: johtaja — person in charge
• Finnish: pomo — person in charge
• French: patron — person in charge
• French: chef — person in charge
• Friulian: cap — person in charge
• Galician: xefe — person in charge
• Galician: xefa — person in charge
• Georgian: უფროსი (uprosi) — person in charge
• Georgian: ხელმძღვანელი (xelmʒɣvaneli) — person in charge
• Georgian: ბოსი (bosi) — person in charge
• Georgian: შეფი (šepi) — person in charge
• German: Chef — person in charge
• German: Chefin — person in charge
• Greek: αφεντικό (afentikó) — person in charge
• Hebrew: בּוֹס (bós) — person in charge
• Hebrew: בּוֹסִית (bósit) — person in charge
• Hindi: मालिक (mālik) — person in charge
• Hungarian: főnök — person in charge
• Icelandic: stjóri — person in charge
• Indonesian: bos — person in charge
• Ingrian: päämees — person in charge
• Ingrian: päänikka — person in charge
• Interlingua: chef — person in charge
• Irish: bas — person in charge
• Italian: capo — person in charge
• Italian: padrone — person in charge
• Japanese: 上司 (jōshi) — person in charge
• Japanese: 長 (chō) — person in charge
• Japanese: ボス (bosu) — person in charge
• Jarai: khua — person in charge
• Khmer: ចៅហ្វាយ (caw vaay) — person in charge
• Khmer: ចាងហ្វាង (caang vaang) — person in charge
• K'iche': rajaw — person in charge
• Korean: 상사 (sangsa) — person in charge
• Korean: 보스 (boseu) — person in charge
• Lao: ເຈົ້ານາຍ (chao nāi) — person in charge
• Latin: dominus — person in charge
• Latin: domina — person in charge
• Latin: ipsimus — person in charge
• Latin: ipsima — person in charge
• Latvian: šefs — person in charge
• Latvian: vadītājs — person in charge
• Latvian: vadītāja — person in charge
• Lithuanian: vadõvas — person in charge
• Lithuanian: vadovė — person in charge
• Lithuanian: šefas — person in charge
• Lithuanian: viršininkas — person in charge
• Lithuanian: viršininkė — person in charge
• Macedonian: раководител (rakovoditel) — person in charge
• Macedonian: раководителка (rakovoditelka) — person in charge
• Malay: bos — person in charge
• Manx: ard-er — person in charge
• Manx: ard-ghooinney — person in charge
• Māori: pāhi — person in charge
• Navajo: bóhólníhígíí — person in charge
• Norwegian Bokmål: sjef — person in charge
• Occitan: cap — person in charge
• Occitan: capa — person in charge
• Occitan: patron — person in charge
• Ojibwe: ogimaa — person in charge
• Iranian Persian: مُدیر (modir) — person in charge
• Iranian Persian: کارْفَرْما (kârfarmâ) — person in charge
• Plautdietsch: Bauss — person in charge
• Polish: szef — person in charge
• Polish: szefowa — person in charge
• Polish: naczelnik — person in charge
• Polish: naczelniczka — person in charge
• Portuguese: chefe — person in charge
• Romanian: șef — person in charge
• Romanian: șefă — person in charge
• Romansh: schef — person in charge
• Romansh: scheffa — person in charge
• Russian: шеф (šef) — person in charge
• Russian: босс (boss) — person in charge
• Russian: нача́льник (načálʹnik) — person in charge
• Russian: нача́льница (načálʹnica) — person in charge
• Scottish Gaelic: ceannard — person in charge
• Serbo-Croatian: га̏зда — person in charge
• Serbo-Croatian: gȁzda — person in charge
• Slovak: šéf — person in charge
• Slovak: šéfka — person in charge
• Slovene: šef — person in charge
• Slovene: šefica — person in charge
• Spanish: jefe — person in charge
• Spanish: jefa — person in charge
• Swahili: bwana — person in charge
• Swedish: chef — person in charge
• Tajik: сардор (sardor) — person in charge
• Tajik: мудир (mudir) — person in charge
• Thai: เจ้านาย (jâo-naai) — person in charge
• Thai: นาย (naai) — person in charge
• Turkish: patron — person in charge
• Turkish: amir — person in charge
• Turkish: müdür — person in charge
• Turkish: şef — person in charge
• Ottoman Turkish: رئیس (reʼis) — person in charge
• Ottoman Turkish: قوجه (koca) — person in charge
• Ukrainian: нача́льник (načálʹnyk) — person in charge
• Ukrainian: нача́льниця (načálʹnycja) — person in charge
• Ukrainian: шеф (šef) — person in charge
• Urdu: مالِک (mālik) — person in charge
• Uzbek: rahbar — person in charge
• Uzbek: boshliq — person in charge
• Uzbek: sardor — person in charge
• Vietnamese: sếp — person in charge
• Záparo: akamínu — person in charge
• Bulgarian: ръководи́тел (rǎkovodítel) — leader, head of an organised team
• Bulgarian: ръководи́телка (rǎkovodítelka) — leader, head of an organised team
• Catalan: cap — leader, head of an organised team
• Catalan: patró — leader, head of an organised team
• Chinese Mandarin: 頭兒 /头儿 (tóur) — leader, head of an organised team
• Chinese Mandarin: 領導 /领导 (lǐngdǎo) — leader, head of an organised team
• Chinese Mandarin: 領隊 /领队 (lǐngduì) — leader, head of an organised team
• Esperanto: mastro — leader, head of an organised team
• Finnish: pomo — leader, head of an organised team
• Finnish: johtaja — leader, head of an organised team
• French: chef — leader, head of an organised team
• French: patron — leader, head of an organised team
• Georgian: ხელმძღვანელი (xelmʒɣvaneli) — leader, head of an organised team
• Greek: αρχηγός (archigós) — leader, head of an organised team
• Latin: dominus — leader, head of an organised team
• Macedonian: раководител (rakovoditel) — leader, head of an organised team
• Macedonian: раководителка (rakovoditelka) — leader, head of an organised team
• Manx: ard-er — leader, head of an organised team
• Manx: ard-ghooinney — leader, head of an organised team
• Ojibwe: ogimaa — leader, head of an organised team
• Russian: руководи́тель (rukovodítelʹ) — leader, head of an organised team
• Russian: руководи́тельница (rukovodítelʹnica) — leader, head of an organised team
• Scottish Gaelic: ceannard — leader, head of an organised team
• Spanish: capo — leader, head of an organised team
• Thai: หัวหน้า (hǔua-nâa) — leader, head of an organised team
• Thai: บอส (bɔ́ɔt) — leader, head of an organised team
• Turkish: patron — leader, head of an organised team
• Ottoman Turkish: رئیس (reʼis) — leader, head of an organised team
• Ottoman Turkish: قوجه (koca) — leader, head of an organised team
• Western Apache: nantʼán — head of a political party
• Bulgarian: ли́дер (líder) — head of a political party
• Bulgarian: водител (voditel) — head of a political party
• Chinese Mandarin: 大佬 (dàlǎo) — head of a political party
• Crimean Tatar: baş — head of a political party
• Finnish: johtaja — head of a political party
• Georgian: ლიდერი (lideri) — head of a political party
• Greek: αρχηγός (archigós) — head of a political party
• Latin: dominus — head of a political party
• Macedonian: лидер (lider) — head of a political party
• Portuguese: líder — head of a political party
• Russian: ли́дер (líder) — head of a political party
• Russian: вождь (voždʹ) — head of a political party
• Scottish Gaelic: ceannard — head of a political party
• Thai: หัวหน้า (hǔua-nâa) — head of a political party
• Bulgarian: шефе (šefe) — term of address to a man
• French: patron — term of address to a man
• French: chef — term of address to a man
• Latin: dominus — term of address to a man
• Macedonian: шефе (šefe) — term of address to a man
• Polish: szef — term of address to a man
• Portuguese: chefe — term of address to a man
• Russian: шеф (šef) — term of address to a man
• Russian: отец (otec) — term of address to a man
• Bulgarian: бос (bos) — enemy in video game
• Chinese Cantonese: 大佬 (daai6 lou2) — enemy in video game
• Chinese Mandarin: 頭目 /头目 (tóumù) — enemy in video game
• Chinese Mandarin: 關底 /关底 — enemy in video game
• Chinese Mandarin: 老怪 — enemy in video game
• Chinese Mandarin: boss — enemy in video game
• Dutch: baas — enemy in video game
• Dutch: eindbaas — enemy in video game
• Esperanto: estro — enemy in video game
• Finnish: pomovastus — enemy in video game
• Finnish: loppuvastus — enemy in video game
• Finnish: vastus — enemy in video game
• French: boss — enemy in video game
• German: Boss — enemy in video game
• German: Endgegner — enemy in video game
• Hungarian: fő ellenség — enemy in video game
• Italian: boss — enemy in video game
• Japanese: ボス (bosu) — enemy in video game
• Khmer: មេ (mee) — enemy in video game
• Korean: 보스 (boseu) — enemy in video game
• Macedonian: кралица (kralica) — enemy in video game
• Norwegian Bokmål: boss — enemy in video game
• Polish: boss — enemy in video game
• Portuguese: chefe — enemy in video game
• Portuguese: chefão — enemy in video game
• Portuguese: guardião — enemy in video game
• Romanian: boss — enemy in video game
• Russian: босс (boss) — enemy in video game
• Spanish: jefe — enemy in video game
• Swedish: boss — enemy in video game
• Thai: บอส (bɔ́ɔt) — enemy in video game
• Vietnamese: trùm — enemy in video game
• Bulgarian: умбо (umbo) — projection in centre of shield
• German: Buckel — projection in centre of shield
• Irish: mol — projection in centre of shield
• Italian: umbone — projection in centre of shield
• Latin: umbō — projection in centre of shield
• Old English: randbēag — projection in centre of shield
• Polish: umbo — projection in centre of shield
• Portuguese: bossa — projection in centre of shield
• Portuguese: umbo — projection in centre of shield
• Spanish: umbo — projection in centre of shield
• Ottoman Turkish: گوبك (göbek) — projection in centre of shield
• Welsh: bogail — projection in centre of shield
• Middle Welsh: bogel — projection in centre of shield
• Bulgarian: изпъкналост (izpǎknalost) — mechanics: protrusion
• Bulgarian: издатина (izdatina) — mechanics: protrusion
• Catalan: botó — mechanics: protrusion
• German: Bund — mechanics: protrusion
• German: Kragen — mechanics: protrusion
• German: Überstand — mechanics: protrusion
• German: Vorsprung — mechanics: protrusion
• German: Stulp — mechanics: protrusion
• German: Sockel — mechanics: protrusion
• Irish: mol — mechanics: protrusion
• Norwegian Bokmål: boss — mechanics: protrusion
• Norwegian Bokmål: bøssing — mechanics: protrusion
• Russian: вы́ступ (výstup) — mechanics: protrusion
• Spanish: tetón — mechanics: protrusion
• Spanish: botón — mechanics: protrusion
• Bulgarian: релеф (relef) — architecture: knob or protrusion
• Bulgarian: розетка (rozetka) — architecture: knob or protrusion
• French: clé de voûte — architecture: knob or protrusion
• German: Abhängling — architecture: knob or protrusion
• German: Schlußstein — architecture: knob or protrusion
• German: Schlussstein — architecture: knob or protrusion
• German: Knoten — architecture: knob or protrusion
• German: Knauf — architecture: knob or protrusion
• German: Hängezapfen — architecture: knob or protrusion
• Italian: bugna — architecture: knob or protrusion
• Polish: brosza — architecture: knob or protrusion
• German: Sitzkissen — hassock
• German: Polsterhocker — hassock
• German: Fußstütze — hassock
• Bulgarian: разпореждам се (razporeždam se) — to exercise authority over (someone)
• Chinese Mandarin: 督責 /督责 (dūzé) — to exercise authority over (someone)
• Danish: koste — to exercise authority over (someone)
• Danish: hundse — to exercise authority over (someone)
• Finnish: pomottaa — to exercise authority over (someone)
• Finnish: komennella — to exercise authority over (someone)
• Italian: comandare — to exercise authority over (someone)
• Russian: ука́зывать (ukázyvatʹ) — to exercise authority over (someone)
• Russian: распоряжа́ться (rasporjažátʹsja) — to exercise authority over (someone)
• Russian: кома́ндовать (komándovatʹ) — to exercise authority over (someone)
• Spanish: dirigir — to exercise authority over (someone)
• Spanish: mandar — to exercise authority over (someone)
• Spanish: bosear — to exercise authority over (someone)
• Swedish: bossa — to exercise authority over (someone)