toss
to throw, pitch, or fling, especially to throw lightly or carelessly: to toss a piece of paper into the wastebasket.
to throw or send from one to another, as in play: to toss a ball.
to throw or pitch with irregular or careless motions; fling or jerk about: The ship was tossed by waves.
to agitate, disturb, or disquiet.
to throw, raise, or jerk upward suddenly: She tossed her head disdainfully.
to speak or express in a sudden offhand manner; interject: He tossed jokes into their serious discussion.
to throw (a coin) into the air in order to decide something by the side turned up when it falls (sometimes followed by up).
to toss a coin with (someone).
to stir or mix (a salad) lightly until the ingredients are coated with the dressing.
to pitch, rock, sway, or move irregularly, as a ship on a rough sea or a flag or plumes in the breeze.
to fling or jerk oneself or move restlessly about, especially on a bed or couch: to toss in one's sleep.
to throw something.
to throw a coin into the air in order to decide something by the way it falls (sometimes followed by up).
to go with a fling of the body: to toss out of a room in a fit of anger.
an act or instance of tossing.
a pitching about or up and down.
a throw or pitch.
the distance to which something is or may be thrown.
a sudden fling or jerk of the body, especially a quick upward or backward movement of the head.
toss off,
to accomplish quickly or easily.
to consume rapidly, especially to drink something up in one swallow: He tossed off a cocktail before dinner.
British Slang. to masturbate.
toss up, Informal. to vomit.
Idioms about toss
toss one's cookies, Slang. cookie (def. 8).
toss one's hat in the ring. hat (def. 8).
Origin of toss
1synonym study For toss
Other words from toss
- tosser, noun
- toss·ing·ly, adverb
- un·tossed, adjective
Words Nearby toss
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use toss in a sentence
On a single coin toss, the chances of getting heads or tails is one in two, but the chance of getting heads twice in a row is one in four.
Georgia Senate races: Data scientist’s final prediction has Democrats taking both seats | Shawn Tully | January 5, 2021 | FortuneOnly a moment later, Mahomes zinged another 20-yard touchdown toss to Hill, giving him 261 yards on the day.
Tom Brady rallies the Bucs, but Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill show why Chiefs are NFL’s best | Eric Adelson | November 30, 2020 | Washington PostHe passed for more than 400 yards for the fourth time in his career, and one of his five touchdown passes was an underhanded toss to Travis Kelce.
NFL games on TV: Games will look different; Tom Brady vs. Drew Brees, Part 2 | Cindy Boren | November 8, 2020 | Washington PostThe center fielder booted a single, the cutoff man threw poorly toward home, the catcher whiffed a perfectly catchable toss and, just for unnecessary garnish, the losing pitcher forgot to back up home plate.
No asterisk required: These Dodgers were historically great — and legitimate champions | Thomas M. Boswell | October 29, 2020 | Washington PostIn the South Bay, a coin toss decided a 2000 race for a spot the Otay Water District board.
Politics Report: The Election After the Election Is Underway | Andrew Keatts and Scott Lewis | October 10, 2020 | Voice of San Diego
The moment came where newly graduated cops customarily toss their white gloves into the air in celebration.
Add olive oil to the pan and toss in the garlic and chili flake.
Make Carla Hall’s Roasted Pork Loin With Cranberries | Carla Hall | December 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTtoss the string beans and mesclun with enough dressing to moisten.
She was gambling on a coin toss where somehow “heads, you win” would have been politically more advantageous than “tails, I lose.”
Keystone Senate Failure Is Environmental Kabuki Theater | Ben Jacobs | November 19, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTtoss in Republican National Committee head Reince Priebus and his Democratic counterpart, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, too.
Then Squinty would toss the apple up in the air, off his nose, and catch it as it came down.
Squinty the Comical Pig | Richard BarnumWhen he assails a calf, the cow will rush upon him, and one toss from her horns is sufficient to kill him.
Hunting the Lions | R.M. BallantyneSues saucy, self-congratulatory toss of the head 14 stung her so that she could have cried out.
Tessa Wadsworth's Discipline | Jennie M. Drinkwater“I am sure they are going to use my idea,” Belle Ringold said, with a toss of her bobbed curls.
The Campfire Girls of Roselawn | Margaret PenroseA pure toss up whether he pulls round or not; luckily he has a frame of iron.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I | Ian Hamilton
British Dictionary definitions for toss
/ (tɒs) /
(tr) to throw lightly or with a flourish, esp with the palm of the hand upwards
to fling or be flung about, esp constantly or regularly in an agitated or violent way: a ship tosses in a storm
to discuss or put forward for discussion in an informal way
(tr) (of an animal such as a horse) to throw (its rider)
(tr) (of an animal) to butt with the head or the horns and throw into the air: the bull tossed the matador
(tr) to shake, agitate, or disturb
to toss up a coin with (someone) in order to decide or allot something: I'll toss you for it; let's toss for it
(intr) to move away angrily or impatiently: she tossed out of the room
an abrupt movement
a rolling or pitching motion
the act or an instance of tossing
the act of tossing up a coin: See toss up (def. 1)
a fall from a horse or other animal
argue the toss to wrangle or dispute at length
give a toss slang to be concerned or interested (esp in the phrase not give a toss)
Origin of toss
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with toss
In addition to the idioms beginning with toss
- toss off
- toss one's cookies
also see:
- throw away (toss out)
- throw (toss) one's hat in the ring
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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