joss
1[ jos ]
/ dʒɒs /
|
noun
a Chinese house idol or cult image.
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Nearby words
josias, josie, joskin, jospin, josquin des prés, joss, joss house, joss stick, josser, jostle, josue
Origin of joss
11705–15; < Chinese Pidgin English < Portuguese deos < Latin deus god
Definition for joss (2 of 2)
joss
2[ jos ]
/ dʒɒs /
noun British, Australian Informal.
a foreman or boss.
Origin of joss
2First 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
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
Word Origin and History for joss
joss
"Chinese figure of a deity," 1711, from Chinese Pidgin English, from Javanese dejos, taken 16c. from Portuguese deus "god," from Latin deus (see Zeus). Colloquially, it came to mean "luck." Joss stick "Chinese incense" first recorded 1883.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper