floss

1 of 2

noun

ˈfläs 

ˈflȯs

1

a

: soft thread of silk or mercerized cotton for embroidery

b

: dental floss

2

: fluffy fibrous material

floss

2 of 2

verb

flossed; flossing; flosses

transitive verb

: to use dental floss on

intransitive verb

: to use dental floss

Synonyms

Noun

• down
• fluff
• fur
• fuzz
• lint
• nap
• pile

Examples of floss in a Sentence

Noun

used cotton floss to simulate Santa's beard

Verb

My dentist told me I should floss more often.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The Mob leader flosses to kick off the track and takes it back to his humble beginnings running around Harlem. —Kyle Denis, Billboard, 9 Dec. 2024

Starting from the back of the lid, pull floss up through a hole and count over seven holes clockwise. —Katy Kiick Condon, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Oct. 2024

Verb

Continue flossing both sides of every tooth, including the backs of your molars. —Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 5 Jan. 2025

Gone are the days of Ami Cusack cutting down men without hesitation or Natalie Bolton flossing her teeth with Jason Siska’s jugular. —Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

probably borrowed from Occitan (Languedoc or an adjacent area) flos "loose, untwisted (of silk)," going back to Latin fluxus "flowing, liquid, flabby, soft," from past participle of fluere "to flow" — more at fluid entry 1

Note: The English word apparently first occurs in Samuel Pullein's The Culture of Silk: Or, an Essay on its Rational Practice and Improvement (London, 1758). Pullein is unclear as to his sources, but he seems to have been familiar with silk production and the cultivation of mulberry trees in southeastern France and northwestern Italy. He uses the word both as an independent noun and in the collocation floss silk, which corresponds to French soie floche, Occitan sedo flusso (thus in Mistral, Lou tresor dóu Felibrige), and Italian seta floscia. French floche, which on phonetic grounds is unlikely to be the direct source of the English word, is traced to Gascon in Französisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, though Gascony was not a major center of silk production.

Verb

derivative of floss entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1759, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1974, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing floss

• candy floss
• dental floss

Kids Definition

floss

1 of 2 noun

ˈfläs 

ˈflȯs

1

a

: soft silk or cotton thread used for embroidery

b

: dental floss

2

: fluffy material full of fibers

floss

2 of 2 verb

: to use dental floss on (one's teeth)

Medical Definition

floss

1 of 2 noun

ˈfläs, ˈflȯs 

: dental floss

floss

2 of 2 transitive verb

: to use dental floss on (one's teeth)

the correct way to floss your teeth

intransitive verb

: to use dental floss

flosses daily