Meanings
joss1
plural josses · alternative obsolete ghos
- countableA heathen divinity.
1 more example
Don't forget they're mostly just joss-worshipping heathen an' they don't get no kick out of the more classy breeds o' religion. Though I guess there ain't that much diff'rence. It ain't many's so Lord Almighty in theirselves that they don't need a joss of some sort, an' I guess it's what yu think about him matters not the sort o' joss.
1939, Philip George Chadwick, The Death Guard, pages 111–112
Joss2
plural Josses
- A unisex given name
- A diminutive of the female given name Jocelyn.
- A diminutive of the male given name Joseph.
- A surname.
present singular third person Josses · participle present Jossing · participle past Jossed · past Jossed
- slangtransitivelifestyleTo invalidate a fan theory or original element of a fanwork through the introduction of new canon or retconning.
Author's note part 2: I'm leaving it to the imagination of the reader what Cordelia saw of her future. Writing that out would be asking to be Jossed.
2000 December 25, Shanna, “Holiday at the Hyperion (2/2)”, in alt.tv.buffy-v-slayer.creative (Usenet)2 more examples
I have this pet theory which will no doubt be Jossed (Greenwalted?) sooner or later. That Wes's dad is not a Watcher, but someone wealthy and financially connected with the Council (if they have all that influence, at least some of the people involved must know who they are)--in short, some kind of profiteer in the war against the forces of evil.
2001 October 20, Sarah Trombley, “Re: Cut Scenes from Carpe Noctem Script”, in alt.tv.angel (Usenet)Even if your pet subject was "Jossed" by HBP (in other words, your theorizing was annihalated^([sic]) or impacted by a canon development) we'd love to have your archival works on HPInkPot - just select "pre-HBP" in the "when was this work written?" section.
2005 December 5, heidi8 [username], “New Essay Archive at HPInkPot.com”, in alt.fan.harry-potter (Usenet)
Synonyms & antonyms
nounLuck.
Origin
joss · noun
- Proto-Indo-European*deywós“god/that which belongs to heaven”
- Latindeus“god”
- Portuguesedeus“god”
- Chinese Pidgin Englishjoss
- Englishjoss
From Chinese Pidgin English joss, from Macau Pidgin Portuguese, from Portuguese deus (“god”), from Latin deus (“god”), from Proto-Indo-European *deywós (“god/that which belongs to heaven”). Doublet of Tiw and Tyr.
More words from Chinese Pidgin English, Portuguese, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Joss · proper noun, verb
Verb usage evolved from the name of Joss Whedon, creator of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly.
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with joss
Cite this entry
joss. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/joss
“joss.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/joss. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “joss,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/joss.
Source: joss on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.