different between fossy vs bossy

English

Adjective

fossy

1. Alternative spelling of phossy

English

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?b?si/
• (cot-caught merger, Canada) IPA^(key): /?b?si/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?b?si/, /?b?s?/
• Rhymes: -?si, -??si

Etymology 1

boss +? -y

Adjective

bossy (comparative bossier, superlative bossiest)

1. Tending to give orders to others, especially when unwarranted; domineering.

Synonyms

• dictatorial, authoritarian, commanding, tyrannical, demanding, inflexible
• see also Thesaurus:bossy

Translations

Etymology 2

Diminutive of dialectal English boss, as used in the term boss-calf (which, like buss-calf, is a variant form of boose-calf, a calf kept in a boose (“stall”)).

Noun

bossy (plural bossies)

1. (US, informal, dated) A cow or calf.
   • about 1900, O. Henry, Hygeia at the Solito

     A week before, while riding the prairies, Raidler had come upon a sick and weakling calf deserted and bawling. Without dismounting he had reached and slung the distressed bossy across his saddle, and dropped it at the ranch for the boys to attend to.

Etymology 3

boss +? -y

Adjective

bossy (comparative more bossy, superlative most bossy)

1. Ornamented with bosses; studded.

Anagrams

• sybos

Lower Sorbian

Adjective

bossy

1. Obsolete spelling of bósy