floss

1 of 2

noun

ˈfläs How to pronounce floss (audio)
ˈflȯs
Synonyms of flossnext
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

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The originals involved nails, but our take is just embroidery floss threaded through holes poked in the lid of a paper mache box. —Katy Kiick Condon, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Oct. 2024 Muji's simple version has elastic holders for bottles and grooming tools, multiple zippered pockets for small items like travel toothpaste tubes, contact lens cases, lip balms and floss, and an open compartment for larger products. —Catherine Garcia, theweek, 24 Oct. 2024
Verb
Consistently brushing, flossing, and rinsing your mouth out twice a day can help prevent a buildup of bacteria and debris in your mouth. —Sarah Hudgens, Health, 5 Oct. 2024 Good dental hygiene, including regular toothbrushing, flossing, and gargling with salt water, can help prevent tonsil stones from developing. —Sarah Hudgens, Health, 5 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for floss 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of floss was in 1759

Phrases Containing floss

Dictionary Entries Near floss

flos ferri

floss

flossa

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Floss.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/floss. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

floss

1 of 2 noun
ˈfläs How to pronounce floss (audio)
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 How to pronounce floss (audio)
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on floss

Nglish: Translation of floss for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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