Webster
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Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

Floss

Floss, n. [It. floscio flabby, soft, fr. L. fluxus flowing, loose, slack. See Flux, n.] 1. (Bot.) The slender styles of the pistillate flowers of maize; also called silk.

2. Untwisted filaments of silk, used in embroidering.

Floss silk, silk that has been twisted, and which retains its loose and downy character. It is much used in embroidery. Called also floxed silk. — Floss thread, a kind of soft flaxen yarn or thread, used for embroidery; — called also linen floss, and floss yarn. McElrath.

Floss, n. [Cf. G. floss a float.] 1. A small stream of water. [Eng.]

2. Fluid glass floating on iron in the puddling furnace, produced by the vitrification of oxides and earths which are present.

Floss hole. (a) A hole at the back of a puddling furnace, at which the slags pass out. (b) The tap hole of a melting furnace. Knight.

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Noah Porter, editor (Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913). Public domain. Text as transcribed by MICRA, Inc., from Project Gutenberg. Changed for Deep Dive Bible: Greek, which our source spelled in Latin letters, set in Greek letters; entries of one spelling merged into one article; Greek words our source left out (shown as “?”), read from the 1898 printing, from the same plates (the Library of Congress’s copy), where the place could be found with certainty.