From Middle English tossen (“to buffet about, agitate, toss; to sift or winnow”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Old Norse (compare dialectal Norwegian tossa, dialectal Swedish tossa (“to strew, spread”)), or perhaps from an alteration of Middle English tosen (“to tease, pull apart, shred; to wound, injure”). Compare also Dutch tassen (“to pile or heap up, stack”).
The Welsh tos (“a quick jerk”) and tosio (“to jerk, toss”) are probably borrowed from the English.
Meanings
(countable, uncountable) A throw, a lob, of a ball etc., with an initial upward direction, particularly with a lack of care.
(countable, uncountable) The coin toss before a cricket match in order to decide who bats first, or before a football match in order to decide the direction of play.
(countable, uncountable) A haughty throwing up of the head.
(British, countable, in the negative, slang, uncountable) Concern or consideration.
I don't give a toss about her.
(British, countable, slang, uncountable) A state of agitation; commotion.
This put us at the board into a Tosse. 1666 June 2, Samuel Pepys, Diary:
"We are all in a toss, in our neighborhood," said Mistress Pottle. 1845, Sylvester Judd, Margaret:
(countable, qualifier:Billingsgate Fish Market slang, uncountable) A measure of sprats.
It will differ from the heaped measure of oysters, improperly called the peck, by about one-seventh part in excess, and from the toss of sprats by about one-third part in excess. 1834, Sir Charles William Pasley, “That the cubic foot is the smallest measure, which ought to be used in wholesale dealings in fish or fruit”, in Observations on the expediency and practicability of simplifying and improving the measures, weights and money, used in this country, without materially altering the present standards, page 96:
(countable, uncountable) A handover from one presenter to another, announced by the first presenter.
The introduction would still be done by the Monitor host in New York's Studio 5B, followed by the toss to the newsperson in Washington. 2003, Dennis Hart, Monitor (Take 2) (page 87)
(UK, slang, uncountable) Nonsense; drivel.
Then I look again at this message. What a load of toss. 2012 February 16, Sean Thomas, Millions of Women are Waiting to Meet You: A Story of Life, Love and Internet Dating, A&C Black, →ISBN, page 101:
I always thought that the breathing thing was a load of toss, but it helped calm me big time. 2019 September 5, Brian Conaghan, The M Word, Bloomsbury Publishing, →ISBN:
'You were,' John said, with infinite love, 'talking such absolute toss.' 2018 June 28, Caitlin Moran, How to be Famous, Random House, →ISBN:
(UK, countable, uncountable, vulgar) An act of masturbation.
And Uncle Frank is having a wank, And Auntie Floss is having a toss, With Grandad. 1983, N. G. N. Kelsey, quoting an anonymous playground song, Games, Rhymes, and Wordplay of London Children, Springer, published 2019, →ISBN, page 436:
This girl was a wank, a toss, something to be used over and over again, even when she was a pensioner; the pictures would be around till the next millennium. 2008 September 4, Martina Cole, Faces: A chilling thriller of loyalty and betrayal, Hachette UK, →ISBN:
Men don't chat about having a toss. We just don't. It's not comfortable. 2017 March 23, Mark Nethercote, A Time for Grace, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN:
it lancio (throw, a lob, of a ball) · ro cap sau pajură (toss of a coin before a match) · scn jucari a testa o cruci (toss of a coin before a match) · cmn 拋 /抛 (throw, a lob, of a ball) · ro aruncare în sus (throw, a lob, of a ball) · gl lanzamento (throw, a lob, of a ball) · es volado (toss of a coin before a match) · no kast (toss of a coin before a match) · pt moeda ao ar (toss of a coin before a match) · fr jet (throw, a lob, of a ball) · pt lançamento (toss of a coin before a match) · sv kast (throw, a lob, of a ball) · fr au pile ou face (toss of a coin before a match) · km ការបោះ (throw, a lob, of a ball) · ro dai cu banul (toss of a coin before a match) · nl opgooi (toss of a coin before a match) · gl lanzamento (toss of a coin before a match) · fr pile ou face (toss of a coin before a match) · fi heitto (throw, a lob, of a ball) · uk кида́ння (throw, a lob, of a ball) · hu elhajítás (throw, a lob, of a ball) · no myntkast (toss of a coin before a match) · ru броса́ние (throw, a lob, of a ball) · es sorteo (toss of a coin before a match) · es tirada (throw, a lob, of a ball) · pl rzut (toss of a coin before a match) · ca tirada (toss of a coin before a match) · he זריקה (throw, a lob, of a ball) · hu hajítás (throw, a lob, of a ball) · fr tirage au sort (toss of a coin before a match) · bg хвърляне (throw, a lob, of a ball) · bg жребий (toss of a coin before a match) · fi kolikonheitto (toss of a coin before a match) · it lancio moneta (toss of a coin before a match) · hu dobás (throw, a lob, of a ball) · he הטלה (toss of a coin before a match) · no flipp (toss of a coin before a match) · es lanzamiento (throw, a lob, of a ball) · no kast (throw, a lob, of a ball) · pl rzucenie (throw, a lob, of a ball) · uk же́реб (toss of a coin before a match) · it testa o croce (toss of a coin before a match) · sv slantsingling (toss of a coin before a match) · it tiro (throw, a lob, of a ball) · fr lancer (throw, a lob, of a ball) · hu eldobás (throw, a lob, of a ball) · pl rzut (throw, a lob, of a ball) · cy hwsgip (toss of a coin before a match) · es tiro (throw, a lob, of a ball) · ru жеребьёвка (toss of a coin before a match) · de Münzwurf (toss of a coin before a match) · pt arremesso (throw, a lob, of a ball) · ru бросо́к (throw, a lob, of a ball) · es lanzamiento (toss of a coin before a match) · uk по́штовх (throw, a lob, of a ball) · de Wurf (throw, a lob, of a ball) · tr atma (throw, a lob, of a ball)
From Middle English tossen (“to buffet about, agitate, toss; to sift or winnow”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Old Norse (compare dialectal Norwegian tossa, dialectal Swedish tossa (“to strew, spread”)), or perhaps from an alteration of Middle English tosen (“to tease, pull apart, shred; to wound, injure”). Compare also Dutch tassen (“to pile or heap up, stack”).
The Welsh tos (“a quick jerk”) and tosio (“to jerk, toss”) are probably borrowed from the English.
Meanings
To throw with an initial upward direction.
President Trump posted an AI-generated video on Thursday on Truth Social that showed him tossing a “Trump 2028” hat at House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). 2025 October 3, Ryan Mancini, “Trump posts AI video throwing 'Trump 2028' hat at Jeffries”, in The Hill, archived from the original on 04 Oct 2025:
Toss it over here!
To lift with a sudden or violent motion.
He tossed his arm aloft, and proudly told me,
He would not stay. 1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act IV, scene i, page 50:
to toss the head
"Over the bender," said Wisp, with a laugh, tossing his thumb over his left shoulder as he spoke. 1835, Charles Whitehead, The Autobiography of Jack Ketch, page 74:
To agitate; to make restless.
Calm region once,
And full of peace, now tossed and turbulent. 1667, John Milton, “Book VIII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
To subject to trials; to harass.
Whom devils fly, thus is he tossed of men. [1633], George Herbert, edited by [Nicholas Ferrar], The Temple. Sacred Poems, and Private Ejaculations, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: […] Thomas Buck and Roger Daniel; and are to be sold by Francis Green, […], →OCLC:
To flip a coin, to decide a point of contention.
We should toss for it.
I'll toss you for it.
(informal, transitive) To discard; to throw away.
I don't need it any more; you can just toss it.
To stir or mix (a salad).
to toss a salad; a tossed salad.
(UK, slang) To masturbate.
(informal, transitive) To search (a room or a cell), sometimes leaving visible disorder, as for valuables or evidence of a crime.
John Orr had occasion to complain in writing to the senior supervisor that his Playboy and Penthouse magazines had been stolen by deputies. And he believed that was what prompted a random search of his cell for contraband. He was stripped, handcuffed, and forced to watch as they tossed his cell. 2003, Joseph Wambaugh, Fire Lover, page 258:
Hayes had watched him toss a room before. He had tapped walls, gotten down on his hands and knees and studied the floor, inspected books and lamps and bric-abrac. 2011, Linda Howard, Kill and Tell: A Novel:
Rankin and Willingham, when they tossed his cell, they took Polaroids so they could get everything back in place. 2009, Thomas Harris, Red Dragon:
(intransitive) To roll and tumble; to be in violent commotion.
tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep
Senseless tossing about at night before sleep comes on is often obviated by a healthful fatigue from a pleasant occupation, provided the fatigue is not sufficient to shatter the nerves. Simple measures, such as “counting sheep,” is a gentle soporific, and may be amplified by the more scholarly, as Kant did, who would think of a word such as “Cicero,” and delve into all the ramifications the thought suggested, until his mental faculties were gradually enmeshed in the veil of sleep. 1928 December 15, Frank J. Hirschboeck, “Treatment of Functional Heart Disease”, in The Journal of the American Medical Association, volume 91, number 24, →DOI, page 1855:
“We can’t stand this, you know,” the young Englishmen said to each other; and they tossed about all night more boisterously than they had tossed upon the Atlantic billows. 1878, Henry James, An International Episode:
(intransitive) To be tossed, as a fleet on the ocean, or as a ship in heavy seas.
Even now did the sea toss up upon our shore c. 1607–1608 (date written), William Shakespeare, [George Wilkins?], The Late, and Much Admired Play, Called Pericles, Prince of Tyre. […], London: […] [William White and Thomas Creede] for Henry Gosson, […], published 1609, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
(obsolete) To keep in play; to tumble over.
spend four or fiue yeares, in tossing all the rules of Grammer in common scholes a. 1569 (date written), Roger Ascham, edited by Margaret Ascham, The Scholemaster: Or Plaine and Perfite Way of Teaching Children, to Vnderstand, Write, and Speake, the Latin Tong, […], London: […] John Daye, […], published 1570, →OCLC:
To peak (the oars), to lift them from the rowlocks and hold them perpendicularly, the handle resting on the bottom of the boat.
(UK, slang) To drink in large draughts; to gulp.
Why, forſooth, an you think ſo, you had beſt go to bed. For my part, I mean to toſs a Can, and remember my Sweet-Heart, afore I turn in; may-hap I may dream of her. 1695, [William] Congreve, Love for Love: A Comedy. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, Act III, scene xv, page 54:
Their modest stole, to garish looser weed,
Deck'd with love-favours their late whoredoms' meed:
And where they wont sip of the simple flood,
Now toss they bowls of Bacchus' boiling blood, 1597, Joseph Hall, “Satire II”, in Satires, Chiswick: C. Whittingham, published 1824, page 7:
(as "toss one's cookies", slang, usually) To vomit.
ms kacau (to stir or mix (a salad)) · haw hulei (to throw with an initial upward direction) · ru подбра́сывать (to flip a coin) · ms berguling (to roll around as in restless sleep) · pt jogar fora (to discard) · fi heittää (to flip a coin) · it buttare (to discard) · ms lambung (to throw with an initial upward direction) · no flippe (to flip a coin) · de zusammenfügen (to stir or mix (a salad)) · rar pēpē‘i (to throw with an initial upward direction) · ms buang (to discard) · oc jogar a cara o crotz (to flip a coin) · it fare testa o croce (to flip a coin) · he זרק (to discard) · it tirare (to flip a coin) · mi pore (to roll around as in restless sleep) · eo ĵeti (to throw with an initial upward direction) · sv langa (to throw with an initial upward direction) · haw hūleilei (to throw with an initial upward direction) · pt arremessar (to throw with an initial upward direction) · sv singla (to flip a coin) · it tirare un pallonetto (to throw with an initial upward direction) · bg нося се (to be thrown around as a ship in rough seas etc) · hu dob (to throw with an initial upward direction) · fr lancer (to throw with an initial upward direction) · fr fatiguer (to stir or mix (a salad)) · hu hánykolódik (to be thrown around as a ship in rough seas etc) · de werfen (to throw with an initial upward direction) · bg отхвърлям (to discard) · de vermischen (to stir or mix (a salad)) · pl rzucać (to throw with an initial upward direction) · sv kasta (to discard) · sv kasta (to throw with an initial upward direction) · de werfen (to flip a coin) · ru переме́шивать (to stir or mix (a salad)) · sv hiva (to throw with an initial upward direction) · fr tirer à pile ou face (to flip a coin) · km ចោល (to discard) · he העיף (to throw with an initial upward direction) · pt misturar (to stir or mix (a salad)) · ro arunca cu banul (to flip a coin) · fr remuer (to stir or mix (a salad)) · hu hányódik (to be thrown around as a ship in rough seas etc) · mi taiperepere (to throw with an initial upward direction) · pt tirar cara ou coroa (to flip a coin) · sv slänga (to throw with an initial upward direction) · mwl lhançar (to throw with an initial upward direction) · fi heittää (to throw with an initial upward direction) · pt jogar (to be thrown around as a ship in rough seas etc) · ro arunca (to discard) · es mantear (to throw with an initial upward direction) · km បោះចោល (to discard) · he זרק (to throw with an initial upward direction) · km ត្រឡប់ (to flip a coin) · sv hysta (to throw with an initial upward direction) · ja 混ぜ合わせる (to stir or mix (a salad)) · ru броса́ть (to throw with an initial upward direction) · fr mélanger (to stir or mix (a salad)) · ru подбра́сывать (to throw with an initial upward direction) · cmn 涼拌 /凉拌 (to stir or mix (a salad)) · rar pē‘i (to throw with an initial upward direction) · ru перемеша́ть (to stir or mix (a salad)) · bg хвърлям (to throw with an initial upward direction) · ro azvârli (to throw with an initial upward direction) · it gettare (to discard) · bg мятам (to throw with an initial upward direction) · it voltare (to stir or mix (a salad)) · hu eldob (to throw with an initial upward direction) · oc tirar a cara o crotz (to flip a coin) · es aventar (to throw with an initial upward direction) · fi heittää menemään (to discard) · nl opwerpen (to throw with an initial upward direction) · es mezclar (to stir or mix (a salad)) · km បោះ (to throw with an initial upward direction) · pt jogar (to throw with an initial upward direction) · pt descartar (to discard) · ms tos (to throw with an initial upward direction) · sv slunga (to stir or mix (a salad)) · mi whakarukeruke (to roll around as in restless sleep) · he הטיל (to flip a coin) · pl rzucić (to throw with an initial upward direction) · hu feldob egy pénzt (to flip a coin) · it mescolare (to stir or mix (a salad)) · es tirar (to throw with an initial upward direction) · cmn 拋 /抛 (to throw with an initial upward direction) · nl opgooien (to throw with an initial upward direction) · bg мятам се (to roll around as in restless sleep) · bg подхвърлям (to flip a coin) · fi sekoittaa (to stir or mix (a salad)) · de wegwerfen (to discard) · fi heittää pois (to discard) · sv slänga (to discard) · ms gaul (to stir or mix (a salad)) · gl mesturar (to stir or mix (a salad)) · hu hajít (to throw with an initial upward direction) · es lanzar (to throw with an initial upward direction) · es tirar (to discard) · de verwerfen (to discard) · mi tārika (to roll around as in restless sleep) · ro arunca în sus (to throw with an initial upward direction) · it lanciare (to throw with an initial upward direction) · es revolver (to stir or mix (a salad)) · de hin und her werfen (to roll around as in restless sleep) · cmn 摇匀 (to stir or mix (a salad)) · ota صالمق (to throw with an initial upward direction) · ms lambung (to be thrown around as a ship in rough seas etc) · es arrojar (to throw with an initial upward direction) · ga suaith (to stir or mix (a salad)) · pt tacar (to throw with an initial upward direction) · oc far a cara o crotz (to flip a coin) · hu elhajít (to throw with an initial upward direction) · hu eldob (to discard) · hu feldob egy pénzdarabot (to flip a coin) · it rigirare (to stir or mix (a salad)) · pt lançar (to throw with an initial upward direction) · de vermengen (to stir or mix (a salad)) · no kaste (to flip a coin) · es desechar (to discard) · cmn 拌 (to stir or mix (a salad)) · mi pakoki (to be thrown around as a ship in rough seas etc)