ross

R1O1S1S1
US/ɹɔs/cot caught merger/ɹɑs/UK/ɹɒs/

noun

The rough, scaly surface on the bark of trees.

“to ross bark”

OriginWelsh rhos →
CommonScrabble 4
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Meanings

ross1

nounross (uncountable)
  1. USdialectaluncountableThe rough, scaly surface on the bark of trees.
verbross (third-person singular simple present rosses, present participle rossing, simple past and past participle rossed)

present singular third person rosses · participle present rossing · participle past rossed · past rossed

  1. USdialectaltransitiveTo divest of the ross, or rough, scaly surface.

    to ross bark

ross2

nounross (plural rosses)

plural rosses

  1. WalesA swamp.

Ross3

proper nounRoss (countable and uncountable, plural Rosses)

plural Rosses · alternative Rosse

  1. A surname
    1. countableuncountableAn English and Scottish habitational surname from Scottish Gaelic derived from any of several places of that name, from Scottish Gaelic ros (“headland”).
    2. countableuncountableA surname from Cornish
    3. countableuncountableA surname from German
  2. countableuncountableA male given name transferred from the surname, of early 19th century and later usage.

    In addition to many other things he has promised to do on his first day in office, Donald Trump has said he will free Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, who is serving a life sentence in federal prison for connecting drug consumers with drug sellers.

    2025 January 20, Jacob Sullum, “Why Trump Should Keep His Promise To Free Silk Road Founder Ross Ulbricht”, in Reason, archived from the original on 22 Apr 2025
  3. A placename
    1. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Pope County, Arkansas.
    2. countableuncountableA town in Marin County, California.
    3. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Calumet Township, Lake County, Indiana.
    4. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Audubon County, Iowa.
    5. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Dieter Township, Roseau County, Minnesota.
    6. countableuncountableA minor city in Mountrail County, North Dakota.
    7. countableuncountableA township and census-designated place therein, in Butler County, Ohio.
    8. countableuncountableA minor city in McLennan County, Texas.
    9. countableuncountableA town in Forest County, Wisconsin.
    10. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in the town of Liberty, Vernon County, Wisconsin.
    11. countableuncountableA number of other townships in the United States, listed under Ross Township.
    12. countableuncountableA hamlet in Middleton parish, Northumberland, England (OS grid ref NU1336).
    13. countableuncountableA coastal hamlet south of Kirkcudbright, Dumfries and Galloway council area, Scotland (OS grid ref NX6444).
    14. countableuncountableA coastal locality near Burnmouth, Scottish Borders council area, Scotland (OS grid ref NT9660).
    15. countableuncountableA village in Northern Midlands council area, Tasmania, Australia.
    16. countableuncountableA small town in the West Coast region, South Island, New Zealand.
    17. abbreviationcountableellipsisuncountableEllipsis of Ross Township
    18. abbreviationcountableellipsisuncountableEllipsis of Ross County

Origin

ross · noun

  1. Welshrhos
  2. Englishross

From Welsh rhos.

More words from Welsh

Full word history & related roots →

Ross · proper noun

  1. Scottish Gaelicros“promontory”
  2. EnglishRoss

* As a Scottish surname, from several places such as Roose in Cumbria or Roos in Yorkshire, both from Scottish Gaelic ros (“promontory”) or a Brythonic parallel of its source such as Welsh rhos (“moor, heath”). There were also several Norman families in Scotland who took their name from Rots in Calvados. Compare Rose, Rhodes. * As an English surname, from Wrose in Shipley, with loss of initial w. * As an English and German surname, from derivatives of the old Germanic root common in names *hrōþi (“fame”). Compare Rossell. * As a Cornish surname, from several places in Cornwall deriving from ros (“heathland”), related to the above Celtic word meaning "heath" or "promontory." See Rouse. * As a Jewish and German occupational surname for a breeder of horses, from the regional/poetic noun Ross (“horse”). Doublet of horse. * Also as a Jewish surname, Americanized from Rose.

More words from Scottish Gaelic

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with ross

lossacrosscrosslososbossdoscosmossglossossjossflossfossKinrossVosspossembossdossfossedrosscosssossdeboss
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

ross. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ross

MLA

“ross.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ross. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ross,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ross.

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