What is "floss"

Floss \Floss\ (?; 195), n. [It. floscio flabby, soft, fr. L. fluxus flowing, loose, slack. See Flux, n.]

1. (Bot.) The slender styles of the pistillate flowers of maize; also called silk.

2. Untwisted filaments of silk, used in embroidering.

3. 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.

Floss \Floss\, n. [Cf. G. floss a float.]

1. A small stream of water. [Eng.]

2. Fluid glass floating on iron in the puddling furnace, produced by the vitrification of oxides and earths which are present. Floss hole.

   1. A hole at the back of a puddling furnace, at which the slags pass out.

   2. The tap hole of a melting furnace.
      --Knight.

"rough silk," 1759, of uncertain origin, perhaps from French floche "tuft of wool" (16c.), from Old French floc "tuft, lock," from Latin floccus "tuft of wool" (see flock (n.2)). Or from a dialectal survival of an unrecorded Old English or Old Norse word from the root of fleece (n.). Compare the surname Flossmonger, attested 1314, which might represent a direct borrowing from Scandinavian or Low German. In "The Mill on the Floss" the word is the proper name of a fictitious river in the English Midlands. Meaning "fine silk thread" is from 1871, short for floss silk (1759). Dental floss is from 1872; the verb floss in reference to use of it is from 1909. Related: Flossed; flossing.

Etymology 1 n. 1 a thread, used to clean the area between the teeth 2 (raw) silk fibres 3 the fibres covering a corn cob 4 Any thread-like material having parallel strands that are not spun or wound around each other. 5 (context British English) Spun sugar or cotton candy, especially in the phrase "candy floss". 6 A body feather of an ostrich. vb. 1 To clean the area between the teeth using ''floss''. 2 (context African American Vernacular English English) To show off, especially by exhibiting one’s wealth or talent. Etymology 2

n. 1 (context UK English) A 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.

1. n. a soft loosely twisted thread used in embroidery

2. a soft thread for cleaning the spaces between the teeth [syn: dental floss]

3. v. use dental floss to clean; "floss your teeth after every meal"

Floss may refer to:

Floß is a municipality in the district of Neustadt (Waldnaab) in Bavaria in Germany, Europe.

'''Floß ''' is a river of Bavaria, Germany.

Floss The Musical is a work-in-progress by legendary The Who musician Pete Townshend. The musical has been a work in progress at least since 2009 with an original estimated release of 2011, but still has not seen an official release date.

On January 24, 2012 Townshend sold the rights to all of his back catalog and much of his future work including Floss The Musical if it is ever completed, quoting the press release: "includes a long-term publishing agreement for Townshend’s future work [...] as well as songs from Floss, the artist’s much-anticipated next musical dramatic project".

Townshend has variously described Floss The Musical as about a couple/family, generational issues, fear, anxiety, also saying "my focus is on Floss, which touches on the current issues faced by the Boomer generation". He has also stated it is designed for "outdoor performance and arenas" and containing soundscapes.