different between toss vs pelt

English

Etymology

From Middle English tossen (“to buffet about, agitate, toss; to sift or winnow”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Old Norse (compare dialectal Norwegian tossa, dialectal Swedish tossa (“to strew, spread”)), or perhaps from an alteration of Middle English tosen (“to tease, pull apart, shred; to wound, injure”). Compare also Dutch tassen (“to pile or heap up, stack”).

The Welsh tos (“a quick jerk”) and tosio (“to jerk, toss”) are probably borrowed from the English.

Pronunciation

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

Noun

toss (plural tosses)

1. A throw, a lob, of a ball etc., with an initial upward direction, particularly with a lack of care.
2. (cricket, soccer) The coin toss before a cricket match in order to decide who bats first, or before a football match in order to decide the direction of play.
3. A haughty throwing up of the head.
4. (British slang) A jot, in the phrase 'give a toss'.

   I couldn't give a toss about her.

5. (British slang) A state of agitation; commotion.
6. (Billingsgate Fish Market slang) A measure of sprats.

Derived terms

• argue the toss

Translations

Verb

toss (third-person singular simple present tosses, present participle tossing, simple past and past participle tossed or (obsolete) tost)

1. To throw with an initial upward direction.

2. To lift with a sudden or violent motion.

   • He tossed his arm aloft, and proudly told me, / He would not stay.

3. To agitate; to make restless.
4. To subject to trials; to harass.

   • Whom devils fly, thus is he tossed of men.

5. To flip a coin, to decide a point of contention.

6. (informal) To discard: to toss out

7. To stir or mix (a salad).

8. (British slang) To masturbate
9. (transitive, informal) To search (a room or a cell), sometimes leaving visible disorder, as for valuables or evidence of a crime.
10. (intransitive) To roll and tumble; to be in violent commotion.

11. (intransitive) To be tossed, as a fleet on the ocean, or as a ship in heavy seas.
12. (obsolete) To keep in play; to tumble over.

    (Can we find and add a quotation of Ascham to this entry?)

13. (rowing) To peak (the oars), to lift them from the rowlocks and hold them perpendicularly, the handle resting on the bottom of the boat.
14. (British slang) To drink in large draughts; to gulp.

Derived terms

• toss one's cookies
• tosser
• toss off
• tosspot
• toss in
• toss up
• toss and turn
• tosticated

Translations

Anagrams

• OSTs, SSTO, osts, sots

English

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Old French pelette, diminutive of pel (“a skin”), from Latin pellis. Alternatively a contraction of peltry (“skins”) from the same Old French and Latin roots.Norwegian pels, Norwegian belte

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /p?lt/
• Rhymes: -?lt

Noun

pelt (plural pelts)

1. The skin of a beast with the hair on; a raw or undressed hide; a skin preserved with the hairy or woolly covering on it.
2. The body of any quarry killed by a hawk.
3. (humorous) Human skin.

   • A scabby tetter on their pelts will stick

Related terms

Translations

Etymology 2

Possible contraction of pellet

Verb

pelt (third-person singular simple present pelts, present participle pelting, simple past and past participle pelted)

1. (transitive) To bombard, as with missiles.

   They pelted the attacking army with bullets.

2. (transitive) To throw; to use as a missile.

   The children pelted apples at us.

3. (intransitive) To rain or hail heavily.

   It's pelting down out there!

4. (transitive) To beat or hit, especially repeatedly.
5. (intransitive) To move rapidly, especially in or on a conveyance.

   The boy pelted down the hill on his toboggan.
6. (intransitive, obsolete) To throw out words.

Translations

Noun

pelt (plural pelts)

1. A blow or stroke from something thrown.
   • 2013, Karen-Anne Stewart, Healing Rain (page 134)

     Kas is awakened by the furious pelts of rain hitting the tin roof, and he rolls over, pulling his sleeping wife tightly into his arms.

References

• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “pelt”, in Online Etymology Dictionary

Anagrams

• -lept, lept, lept-

Dutch

Pronunciation

Verb

pelt

1. second- and third-person singular present indicative of pellen
2. (archaic) plural imperative of pellen