Meaning
2 senses(Ireland, UK, intransitive)To avoid work, shirk, etc.
I am going to doss tomorrow when the match is on.
(Australia, UK, intransitive, slang)To sleep, especially in the open or in a makeshift bed, commonly in a derelict building because one is homeless.
I normally have to doss in shop doorways or on park benches.
More definitions
- sleep in a convenient place
Examples
3 sentencesOn Saturday they decided to just doss around at the park.
We barely do any work in geography lessons, we just doss about.
After the bailiff repossessed Tom's house, he was forced to doss down at a homeless shelter.
Origin
Perhaps from Latin dorsum (“the back”), i.e. what one lies on when sleeping; perhaps fromPerhaps from Latin dorsum (“the back”), i.e. what one lies on when sleeping; perhaps from English dialect doss (“a hassock”).
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
dosses, dossing, dossed, dossedPhrasal verbs
5 phrasal verbsSynonyms
2 synonymsWord family
4 related wordsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle