The Collaborative International Dictionary
Floss thread
Floss \Floss\ (?; 195), n. [It. floscio flabby, soft, fr. L. fluxus flowing, loose, slack. See Flux, n.]
(Bot.) The slender styles of the pistillate flowers of maize; also called silk.
Untwisted filaments of silk, used in embroidering.
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A body feather of an ostrich. Flosses are soft, and gray from the female and black from the male.
Floss silk, silk that has been twisted, and which retains its loose and downy character. It is much used in embroidery. Called also floxed silk.
Floss thread, a kind of soft flaxen yarn or thread, used for embroidery; -- called also linen floss, and floss yarn.
--McElrath.