foss

F4O1S1S1
US/fɑs/US/fɔs/UK/fɒs/

noun

A waterfall.

OriginNorwegian foss ← Old Norse fors →
Less commonScrabble 7
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Meanings

foss1

nounfoss (plural fosses)

plural fosses

  1. alternativeAlternative spelling of fosse.

foss2

nounfoss (plural fosses)

plural fosses

  1. Northern EnglandA waterfall.

    Another of his flock was spotted garrotted, one found twisted and drowned at the bottom of a foss and a third split cleanly from scut to teeth.

    2017, Benjamin Myers, The Gallows Pole, Bloomsbury, published 2019, page 101

FOSS3

nounFOSS (uncountable)
  1. abbreviationinitialismuncountablecomputingInitialism of Free and Open Source Software.

Foss4

proper noun
  1. A surname.
  2. A town in Washita County, Oklahoma.
  3. An unincorporated community in Tillamook County, Oregon, United States.
  4. A minor river in North Yorkshire, England, that joins the Ouse in York.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
waterfall

Origin

foss · noun

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Full word history & related roots →

foss · noun

  1. Old Norsefors“waterfall”
  2. Norwegianfoss
  3. Englishfoss

From Icelandic or Norwegian foss, both from Old Norse fors (“waterfall”). Doublet of force (“waterfall”).

More words from Norwegian, Old Norse

Full word history & related roots →

Foss · proper noun

  1. Proto-Germanic*fuhsaz
  2. Proto-West Germanic*fuhs
  3. Old Saxonfohs
  4. EnglishFoss

Meaning "fox". From Old Saxon fohs, fuhs, from Proto-West Germanic *fuhs, from Proto-Germanic *fuhsaz.

More words from Old Saxon, Proto-West Germanic, Proto-Germanic

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with foss

lossacrosscrosslososbossrossdoscosmossglossossjossflossKinrossVosspossembossdossfossedrosscosssossdeboss
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

foss. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/foss

MLA

“foss.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/foss. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “foss,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/foss.

Source: foss on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.