toss

[ taws, tos ]

verb (used with object)

, tossed or (Literary) tost; toss·ing.

1. to throw, pitch, or fling, especially to throw lightly or carelessly:

   to toss a piece of paper into the wastebasket.

2. to throw or send from one to another, as in play:

   to toss a ball.

3. to throw or pitch with irregular or careless motions; fling or jerk about:

   The ship was tossed by waves.

4. to agitate, disturb, or disquiet.
5. to throw, raise, or jerk upward suddenly:

   She tossed her head disdainfully.

6. to speak or express in a sudden offhand manner; interject:

   He tossed jokes into their serious discussion.

7. to throw (a coin) into the air in order to decide something by the side turned up when it falls (sometimes followed by up ).
8. to toss a coin with (someone).
9. to stir or mix (a salad) lightly until the ingredients are coated with the dressing.

verb (used without object)

, tossed or (Literary) tost; toss·ing.

1. to pitch, rock, sway, or move irregularly, as a ship on a rough sea or a flag or plumes in the breeze.
2. to fling or jerk oneself or move restlessly about, especially on a bed or couch:

   to toss in one's sleep.

3. to throw something.
4. to throw a coin into the air in order to decide something by the way it falls (sometimes followed by up ).
5. to go with a fling of the body:

   to toss out of a room in a fit of anger.

noun

1. an act or instance of tossing.
2. a pitching about or up and down.
3. a throw or pitch.
4. tossup ( def 1 ).
5. the distance to which something is or may be thrown.
6. a sudden fling or jerk of the body, especially a quick upward or backward movement of the head.

verb phrase

1. Informal. to vomit.
2. 1. to accomplish quickly or easily.
   2. to consume rapidly, especially to drink something up in one swallow:

      He tossed off a cocktail before dinner.

   3. British Slang. to masturbate.

toss

/ tɒs /

verb

1. tr to throw lightly or with a flourish, esp with the palm of the hand upwards
2. to fling or be flung about, esp constantly or regularly in an agitated or violent way

   a ship tosses in a storm

3. to discuss or put forward for discussion in an informal way
4. tr (of an animal such as a horse) to throw (its rider)
5. tr (of an animal) to butt with the head or the horns and throw into the air

   the bull tossed the matador

6. tr to shake, agitate, or disturb
7. to toss up a coin with (someone) in order to decide or allot something

   let's toss for it

   I'll toss you for it

8. intr to move away angrily or impatiently

   she tossed out of the room

noun

1. an abrupt movement
2. a rolling or pitching motion
3. the act or an instance of tossing
4. the act of tossing up a coin See toss up
5. a fall from a horse or other animal
6. argue the toss
   to wrangle or dispute at length
7. give a toss slang.
   to be concerned or interested (esp in the phrase not give a toss )

Other Words From

• tosser noun
• tossing·ly adverb
• un·tossed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of toss¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of toss¹

C16: of Scandinavian origin; related to Norwegian, Swedish tossa to strew

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. toss one's cookies, Slang. cookie ( def 8 ).
2. toss one's hat in the ring. hat ( def 8 ).

More idioms and phrases containing toss

• throw away (toss out)
• throw (toss) one's hat in the ring

Synonym Study

See throw.

Example Sentences

R.C. spent a few days in jail before the case was tossed out due to a lack of evidence.

From Los Angeles Times

“Remember, if the toss isn’t good, don’t even try to hit it,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times

The army is still towing away wrecked cars which were tossed around in the floodwaters.

From BBC

The two coaches spent enough hours together, tossing around Air Raid ideas on the same Texas Tech staff from 2004 to 2007, to understand each other’s tendencies at a pretty deep level.

From Los Angeles Times

They uniformly declared that the election was so tight, both at the national and state levels, that it was a coin toss.

From Salon