joss en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /dʒɑs/ (cot-caught-merger)
- /dʒɔs/ (General-American)
- (Southern-England) audio
- /dʒɒs/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
From Chinese Pidgin English joss, from Macau Pidgin Portuguese, from Portuguese deus (“god”), from Latin deus (“god”), from Proto-Indo-European *deywós (“god/that which belongs to heaven”). Doublet of Tiw and Tyr.
Meanings
- (countable) A Chinese household divinity; a Chinese idol.
-
(countable) A heathen divinity.
Don't forget they're mostly just joss-worshipping heathen an' they don't get no kick out of the more classy breeds o' religion. Though I guess there ain't that much diff'rence. It ain't many's so Lord Almighty in theirselves that they don't need a joss of some sort, an' I guess it's what yu think about him matters not the sort o' joss.
1939, Philip George Chadwick, The Death Guard, pages 111–112:
-
(informal, uncountable) Luck.
She had twisted a piece of heather into her mail box for good joss, and this was the safety signal.
1977, John Le Carré, The Honourable Schoolboy, Folio Society, published 2010, page 178:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ghos | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic | |
| josses | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
joss paper · joss stick · joss house