floss

plural flosses

1. countableuncountableA thread used to clean the gaps between the teeth.
2. countableuncountableRaw silk fibres.
3. countableuncountableThe fibres covering a corncob etc.; the loose downy or silky material inside the husks of certain plants, such as beans.
4. countableuncountableAny thread-like material having parallel strands that are not spun or wound around each other.

   embroidery floss

5. UKcountableuncountableSpun sugar or cotton candy, especially in the phrase "candy floss".
6. countableuncountableA body feather of an ostrich.

   Flosses are soft, and grey from the female and black from the male.

7. countableuncountableA 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.

present singular third person flosses · participle present flossing · participle past flossed · past flossed

1. ambitransitiveTo clean the area between (the teeth) using floss.

   I don't floss very often.

   1 more example

   I floss my teeth twice a day.

2. slangAfrican-American VernacularTo show off, especially by exhibiting one's wealth or talent.

   It's impossible to floss wealth without attracting envy.

   2007, Azie Faison, Agyei Tyehimba, Game Over: The Rise and Transformation of a Harlem Hustler, Simon and Schuster, page 69

   2 more examples

   As the label's name no doubt implies, these rappers aren't your typical crew, even if they still like to floss and represent their city.

   2003, Vladimir Bogdanov, All Music Guide to Hip-Hop: The Definitive Guide to Rap and Hip-Hop, Backbeat Books, page 554

   “Ms. Jackson” is probably the most sensitive—and realistic—take on relationships to come out of hip-hop, while “Red Velvet” cautions would-be playas against pushing the floss envelope around “dirty boys” just waiting for a chance to add some gray flecks to that fur.

   2003, Oliver Wang, Classic Material: The Hip-Hop Album Guide, ECW Press, page 134

   Synonyms: flamboast, high-side, stunt, aura farm, boulevardier, cut a wide swath, cut it fat, cut round

3. intransitiveTo perform the floss dance move.

plural flosses

1. UKA small stream of water.
2. Fluid glass floating on iron in the puddling furnace, produced by the vitrification of oxides and earths which are present.

plural flosses

1. Northern EnglandScotlandThe common rush (Juncus effusus).

   Synonyms: common rush, soft rush

1. abbreviationuncountablecomputingAbbreviation of free/libre/open source software.

   FLOSS has proven to be an extremely valuable tool for accelerating research in various fields of IT and engineering in order to address the needs of society in the future.

   2019, Brian Fitzgerald, Audris Mockus, Minghui Zhou, Towards Engineering Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) Ecosystems for Impact and Sustainability, Springer, →ISBN, page 121