Toss

/tɒs/

Meaning & Definition

noun

an act of throwing something.

With a quick toss, he sent the paper airplane soaring.

a casual throw or movement.

She gave the dog a toss of the frisbee.

a random selection, as in tossing a coin.

The toss of a coin determined who would go first.

verb

to throw something lightly or casually.

She decided to toss the ball to her friend.

to turn over or rearrange something.

He will toss the salad before serving.

to throw out or dispose of something.

I need to toss these old newspapers into the recycling.

to make a quick decision, often by flipping a coin.

They couldn't decide on a restaurant, so they opted to toss a coin.

Originating from Middle English 'tos(s)en', frequentative of 'tossen', akin to Old Norse 'tossa' meaning 'to throw'.

toss and turn

To move about restlessly while trying to sleep.

toss up

To make a decision by throwing a coin or to express uncertainty.

toss aside

To discard or dismiss something.

tossing

The act of throwing or flinging something.

toss-up

An uncertain outcome that is difficult to predict.

To abandon someone or something.

He totally tossed his friends when he got popular.

To mess something up.

I tossed my homework right before it was due.