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Entry 5 senses · 2 variants Webster, 1913

Floss

/fläs/ · IPA /flɔs/
01 n. The slender styles of the pistillate flowers of maize; also called silk.
  1. 1.
    The slender styles of the pistillate flowers of maize; also called silk.(Bot.) Also: silk
  2. 2.
    Untwisted filaments of silk, used in embroidering.
  3. 3.
    A body feather of an ostrich. Flosses are soft, and gray from the female and black from the male.
Phrases & compounds
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.
02 n. A small stream of water.
  1. 1.
    A small stream of water.[Eng.]
  2. 2.
    Fluid glass floating on iron in the puddling furnace, produced by the vitrification of oxides and earths which are present.
Phrases & compounds
Floss hole — A hole at the back of a puddling furnace, at which the slags pass out.