toss

Definitions

noun the flipping of a coin by one of the two captains as a way of deciding which team shall bat first
Citation ‘The toss in cricket is more important in determining the result of matches than in any other sport’ (Marqusee 1994)
verb to flip a coin in order to decide which team shall bat first
Citation ‘As Hughes and I walked out to toss in the bright sunshine, there was already an eager air of anticipation around the ground’ (Brearley 1982)

verb to turn food over, usually with two spoons, so that it becomes coated with a dressing, e.g. melted butter on vegetables or vinaigrette dressing on salads
verb to coat pieces of food with a powder such as flour by shaking them together in a bag
verb to turn over something being cooked in a frying pan by throwing it into the air with a flicking motion of the pan and catching it

noun something futile, worthless or useless. A word usually found in the phrase ‘a load of old toss’. It denotes the semen ejaculated in masturbation, and is influenced also by tosh meaning nonsense.
noun an obnoxious and/or foolish person. The term is a shortening of tosser or toss-bag.
verb to deliberately lose a match, game or contest (usually as part of a gambling conspiracy). A racier version of ‘throw’.
verb to search and/or ransack premises in pursuit of evidence of crime or of booty. An underworld and law enforcers’ term.
verb to defeat. A term used particularly in sport; it probably derives from the image of a wrestler or bull tossing an opponent, or simply from the standard sense of ‘toss aside’.

14 definitions in context