What does floss mean?
Floss is a soft, light, fibrous material, and in modern everyday use it most often denotes the fine thread drawn between the teeth to remove food particles and plaque. Historically the word referred to raw silk or the downy fibres of plants — terms such as floss silk and embroidery floss preserve this older sense. As a verb, to floss is simply to clean the teeth with dental floss, a habit so routine that the word itself has become shorthand for good oral hygiene. In the late 2010s, 'the floss' also emerged as an informal name for a popular dance in which the arms swing side to side past the hips, showing how an established word can acquire entirely new cultural meanings. Practical, domestic, and familiar, floss sits comfortably among everyday English vocabulary.
A soft, silky fibre or thread, especially dental floss or embroidery floss.
"He wound the coloured floss around a cardboard bobbin."
In dental contexts the word is often treated as mass noun ('a spool of floss'); in needlework, 'embroidery floss' is the standard term.
To clean between one's teeth with dental floss.
"You should floss at least once a day to keep your gums healthy."
Rarely used; floss is normally treated as an uncountable mass noun. A plural may appear when referring to different types or brands of floss.
"The pharmacy stocks several waxed and unwaxed flosses."
The word 'floss' originally meant raw silk fibre — dentistry only borrowed it in the 19th century, and a 2017 dance move made an old word go viral again.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of floss
'Floss' entered English in the 16th century as a term for raw silk or downy fibre, probably via French floche ('tuft, flock') or a related source, and is ultimately connected to words for soft tufts of fibre, sharing roots with 'fleece'. Its application to thread used for cleaning between the teeth dates from the 19th century, when dental floss was first promoted commercially. The dance sense arose independently as slang in the late 2010s.
Related word forms
How floss is actually used
As a verb, 'to floss' (clean one's teeth with floss) is standard and common, especially in American English. The dance sense is informal and generational slang, popularized in the late 2010s. In craft contexts, 'embroidery floss' is the standard term.
Easily confused with floss
Gloss means a shine or surface polish (or a brief explanation), whereas floss refers to soft fibrous thread, especially for cleaning teeth.