joss

[ jos ]

/ dʒɒs /

noun

a Chinese house idol or cult image.

Nearby words

josias, josie, joskin, jospin, josquin des prés, joss, joss house, joss stick, josser, jostle, josue

Origin of joss

1705–15; < Chinese Pidgin English < Portuguese deos < Latin deus god

Definition for joss (2 of 2)

joss

[ jos ]

/ dʒɒs /

noun British, Australian Informal.

a foreman or boss.

Origin of joss

First recorded in 1855–60; origin uncertain

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for joss

Joss Whedon, who is an executive producer and directed the S.H.I.E.L.D. pilot, has his hands full with the Avengers sequel.
The Leaner, Meaner Season 2 of ‘Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’|Jason Lynch|September 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Last year, I spoke to Joss Whedon, the director behind The Avengers and its upcoming sequel about the lack of female superheroes.
Fear of a Minority Superhero: Marvel's Obsession with White Guys Saving the World|Marlow Stern|August 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But Joss gave me my first job in Hollywood, which was writing a TV show for him.
‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Filmmaker James Gunn on His Glorious Space Opera and Rise to the A-List|Marlow Stern|August 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I was really thrilled that Joss Whedon asked me to be involved.
Motion Capture Maestro Andy Serkis on ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ and Revolutionizing Cinema|Marlow Stern|July 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST

This one came around and I was a little skeptical, but Joss reached out to me, and then Robert did.
Mark Ruffalo Blasts Iraq’s GOP Warmongers, Talks ‘Begin Again’ and ‘Avengers’|Marlow Stern|June 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Inside was an image or idol (the joss), carved in wood, with gorgeous gilded paper stuck all round him.
A Boy's Voyage Round the World|The Son of Samuel Smiles
But Joss had also put it into the hearts of the boys to save themselves and others.
Sea Warfare|Rudyard Kipling
Many of the conspirators met together in Basel, amongst them being Joss Fritz with his banner.
German Society at the Close of the Middle Ages|Ernest Belfort Bax
On examining Joss room they found everything just as he had left it.
The Automobile Girls Along the Hudson|Laura Dent Crane
So Harry stood waiting while the joss stick throwing went merrily on.
The Bradys After a Chinese Princess|Francis Worcester Doughty

British Dictionary definitions for joss

joss

/ (dʒɒs) /

noun

a Chinese deity worshipped in the form of an idol

Word Origin for joss

C18: from pidgin English, from Portuguese deos god, from Latin deus

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012