Pa. t. and pple. tossed, also 6– tost. [In use soon after 1500, and current in nearly all its senses by 1550. Origin uncertain: the only cognate word appears to be the Norw. and Sw. dialect tossa to spread, strew (Aasen); Welsh tosio is from Eng.]
I. trans. 1. To throw, pitch, or fling about, here and there, or to and fro: expressing the action of wind or wave, or the light, careless, or disdainful action of a person, on something easily moved.
1506. Guylforde, Pilgr. (Camden), 73. Howbeit the wroughte sees tossyd and rolled vs ryght greuously.
1526. Tindale, Matt. xiv. 24. The shippe was in the middes of the see, and was toost with waves. Ibid., James. i. 6. Lyke the waves off the see, tost off the wynde.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 301. Not restynge, they dyd cary the & tosse the from place to place.
1603. Miracles Our Saviour, in Farr, S. P. Jas. I. (1848), 356. The Shaking ships amid the seas ytost.
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 19. The shippes are tossed they know not where.
1782. Cowper, Parrot, i. A native of the gorgeous east, By many a billow tost.
1852. Thackeray, Esmond, II. vii. Mistress Beatrix,… tossing her rustling flowing draperies about her, and quitting the room, followed by her mother.
1887. Bowen, Virg. Æneid, I. 524. We Troy’s ill-starred sons, long tossed by the winds on the deep.
b. fig. or in fig. context.
1545. Brinklow, Compl., 21 b. How men be tossed from one court to another. Ibid., 59 b. He that denyeth them but one grote … how will thei tosse hym in the lawe.
1569. W. Samuel. vii Chapter of Job, ii. Both night and day they haue their toyl With work and dreames itost.
1592. G. Harvey, Four Lett., iii. Wks. (Grosart), I. 195. He tost his imagination a thousand waies.
1611. Bible, Eph., iv. 14. That we … be no more children, tossed to and fro, and caried about with euery winde of doctrine.
1633. P. Fletcher, Purple Isl., XII. lii. Though I poore changeling rove, Tost up and down in waves of worldly floud.
1727. Gay, Fables, I. xvi. 17. Here, there, by various fortune tost.
1823. Chalmers, Serm., I. 245. This unhappy man thus tost and bewildered and thrown into a general unceasing Frenzy.
1862. Mrs. H. Wood, Mrs. Hallib. Troub., I. i. I have been tossed about a good deal of late years.
† 2. To turn over and over, to turn the leaves of (a book, etc.). Obs.
1555. W. Watreman, Fardle Facions, Ded. 2. The searche of wisedome and vertue, for whose sake either we tosse, or oughte to tosse so many papers and tongues.
1579. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 99. I will to Athens, there to tosse my books.
1581. Pettie, Guazzo’s Civ. Conv., III. (1586), 159. Whether in tossing ouer your bookes, you haue light vpon that place where Cicero giueth a nip to his daughter.
1597. Morley, Introd. Mus., Pref. What labour it was to tomble, tosse, and search so manie bookes.
1730. T. Boston, Mem., xi. (1899), 373. The huge toil in tossing lexicons and the Hebrew concordance.
3. To shake, shake up, stir up.
1557. N. T. (Genev.), Matt. xxiv. 29. The powers of heaven shall be tossed.
1610. Holland, Camden’s Brit. (1637), 208. Thomas … was much tossed and shaken.
1811. Ora & Juliet, I. 205. She tossed the cup after breakfast, and read the fortunes of the maid-servants.
1834. M. Scott, Cruise Midge (1859), 391. A tall solitary palm shot up and tossed its wide spreading fan like leaves in the night wind.
† b. To fling (hay, wool, etc.) abroad, so as to loosen the mass. Obs. exc. as in 1.
1557. Tusser, 100 Points Husb., xci. With tossing and raking, and setting on cox: The grasse that was grene, is now hay for an ox. Ibid. (1573), Husb. (1878), 131. No turning of peason till carrege ye make,… By turning and tossing they shed as they lie.
1581. A. Hall, Iliad, VI. 118. Of some Greeke thou shalt become the slaue Who to his country shal thee leade to tease and tosse his wul.
c. Tin-refining. (See quot.)
1884. C. G. W. Lock, Workshop Receipts, Ser. III. 452/1. The refining [of tin] may be divided into two stages, liquation and tossing…. The same effect is sometimes produced by ‘tossing,’ or raising the metal in ladles, and pouring, from some height through the air, back again into the pan.
¶ d. Tin-mining. Erron. used for TOZE v.2, q.v.
4. fig. To disturb or agitate socially or politically.
1552. Ascham, Germany, 36. Cæsar … also tossed the whole world with battle & slaughter, even almost from the sun setting unto the sun rising.
1618. Bolton, Florus (1636), 250. Hee tossed both Sea, and Land with mixture of his miseries.
1796. Burke, Regic. Peace, ii. Wks. VIII. 256. The … speculator Harrington, who has tossed about society into all forms.
b. To disquiet or agitate in mind; to set in commotion, as by shifting opinions, feelings, circumstances, or influences; to disturb, disorder.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 172 b. To be exercised and tossed in dyuerse temptacyons.
1561. T. Norton, Calvin’s Inst., I. 53. Contrary motions do tosse and diuersly draw his soule.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. i. 55. That troublous dreame gan freshly tosse his braine.
1632. Lithgow, Trav., V. 199. Thus was I tost … With strugling doubts.
1833. Ht. Martineau, Tale of Tyne, iv. The seamen were tossed in spirit through fear of the press gang.
1834. J. MacDonald, in Tweedie, Life, iii. (1849), 238. My mind is tossed by various considerations.
II. intr. (Related to I.)
† 5. To be in mental agitation or distraction; to be disquieted in mind or circumstances. Obs.
1509. Hawes, Past. Pleas., ii. (Percy Soc.), 14. So forthe I went, tossynge on my brayne.
1513. More, Rich. III., Wks. 35/1. Katheryne whiche longe tyme tossed in either fortune sommetime in wealth, ofte in aduersitye.
1582. N. Lichefield, trans. Castanheda’s Conq. E. Ind., I. viii. 20 b. The Captaine generall and the other Captaines thus tossing vp and downe, to and fro, as well with their ships, as also in their mindes, determined to beare towards the Ilande of Mombassa.
6. a. for refl. To fling or jerk oneself about; to move about restlessly.
1560. Bible (Genev.), Job vii. 4. I am euen ful with tossing to and fro vnto the dawning of the day.
1575. Gamm. Gurton, I. v. 11. See how Hodg lieth tomblynge and tossing amids the floure.
1638. Junius, Paint. Ancients, 151. Burning fevers shall leave you never a whit sooner,… if you tosse in woven imagerie,… than if you lie under … ordinarie coverings.
1754. Gray, Pleasure, 45. Wretch, that long has tost On the thorny bed of Pain.
1886. Tip Cat, xix. The child was tossing and turning and talking in her sleep.
b. for pass. To be flung or rocked about; to be kept in motion; to be agitated.
1582. [see 5].
1596. Shaks., Merch. V., I. i. 8. Your minde is tossing on the Ocean.
1809. Jas. Moore, Camp. Spain, 2. The soldiers … remained tossing on board the crowded transports.
1827. Pollok, Course T., X. 471. The unfathomable lake, Tossing with tides of dark, tempestuous wrath.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xviii. IV. 131. A fleet of merchantmen tossing on the waves.
1884. W. C. Smith, Kildrostan, I. i. 20. Roots that cling as the branches toss.
III. trans. * To throw in a specified direction.
7. To throw, cast, pitch, fling, hurl (without any notion of agitation).
1570. Googe, Pop. Kingd., IV. (1880), 47 b. The Dice are shakte and tost, and Cardes apace they teare.
1611. Bible, Isa. xxii. 18. He will surely violently turne and tosse thee, like a ball into a large countrey.
1670. Cotton, Espernon, II. VI. 283. Had he known his temerity, he would have caus’d Marsillac to have been tost out of the Windows.
1700. S. L., trans. Fryke’s Voy. E. Ind. 139. We lost one Man, who was Tossed off the Maintop Mast into the Sea.
1718. Lady M. W. Montagu, Lett. to Abbé Conti, 31 July. The governor’s daughter … tossed a note to him over the wall.
1810. Scott, Lady of L., III. xiv. The falc’ner tossed his hawk away.
1830. in Cobbett, Rur. Rides (1885), II. 308. Two or three, or even one man, may, if not tossed out at once, disturb and interrupt every thing.
1853. Kingsley, Hypatia, xvi. He tossed his purse among the crowd.
1857. G. Bird’s Urin. Deposits (ed. 5), 217. It seems now to run some risk of being tossed aside as a thing of no consequence.
b. absol. To fling oneself (like a body tossed).
1728. Young, Love Fame, V. 477. They throw their persons with a hoydon-air Across the room, and toss into the chair.
1852. Thackeray, Esmond, I. xiii. She tossed out of the room, being in one of her flighty humours then.
8. esp. Of two players: To throw, or impel by hitting (a ball, etc.) to and fro between them: cf. to toss from pillar to post (PILLAR sb. 11). Often fig. or in fig. context.
1514. Barclay, Cyt. & Uplondyshm. (Percy), 67. From poste unto piller tossed shalt thou be.
a. 1533. Frith, Another Bk. agst. Rastell, Pref. A v. It is not Inoughe for a man playinge at tennes to tosse the ball agayn, but he must so tosse it that the tother take it not.
1550. Crowley, Last Trump., 562. To play tenise, or tosse the ball.
1570–6. Lambarde, Peramb. Kent (1826), 248. This Ball was busily tossed betweene the King and the Pope.
1879. Stainer, Music of Bible, 83. Shrill echoes ever and anon tossed from side to side.
b. fig. spec. To bandy (a subject or question) from one side to the other in debate; to discuss; to make the subject of talk.
c. 1540. trans. Pol. Verg. Eng. Hist. (Camden), II. 8. The Frenche, somewhat appalled,… tossed the matter amongst themselves what best were to do.
1637. Gillespie, Eng. Pop. Cerem., III. viii. 177. When questions and controversies of Faith, are tossed in the Church.
1700. Blair, in W. S. Perry, Hist. Coll. Amer. Col. Ch., I. 68. There is nothing more usual among schollars … than to toss an argument, and that sometimes to too great a height of heat and animosity.
1795. Burke, Corr. (1844), IV. 325. If we were to toss the matter about … for twenty days, we could only end as we began.
1859. Tennyson, Lanc. & El., 233. Then she, who … heard her name so tost about, Flush’d slightly at the slight disparagement.
** spec. To throw up.
9. To throw up, throw into the air; esp. to throw (a coin, etc.) up, to see how it falls; = toss up, 14 a.
To toss in a blanket, to throw (a person) upward repeatedly from a blanket held slackly at each corner: see BLANKET sb. 2. To toss a pancake, to throw it up so that it falls back into the pan with the other side up.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (1531), 166. As a ball, whiche yf it be tossed and cast vp streyght, it falleth down directly … in the hande of hym that cast it vp.
1597, 1682. [see BLANKET sb. 2].
1598. Florio, Zombata, a tossing in a blanket.
1619. [see PANCAKE 1].
1687. A. Lovell, trans. Thevenot’s Trav., I. 45. He that has a minde to be tossed in the Air, sits down on a good seat of Wood, that is fastened to the end of the Ropes.
1688. in Ellis, Orig. Lett., Ser. II. IV. 125. Capt. Ouseley is said to be come to town to give his reasons for tossing the Mayor of Scarborough in a blanket.
a. 1711. Ken, Blondina, Poet. Wks. 1721, IV. 526. A mad furious Bull … Who gor’d and toss’d her to the Sky.
1713. Young, Last Day, I. 250. The foaming surges, tost on high.
a. 1756. Mrs. Haywood, New Present (1771), 206. Turn it [a pancake] or, if you can, toss it, which is much better.
1841. Catlin, N. Amer. Ind., I. iv. 25. Mons. Chardon ‘tossed the feather’ (a custom always observed to try the course of the wind).
1863. Kingsley, Water Bab., i. He was tossing halfpennies with the other boys.
1900. G. C. Brodrick, Mem. & Impress., 4. The newly-elected members were bound to undergo the ceremony of ‘chairing,’ and were regularly ‘tossed’ at a particular spot.
fig. 1791. Boswell, Johnson, 8 May, an. 1778. I don’t care how often, or how high, he tosses me, when only friends are present.
1843. Lytton, Last Bar., IV. ii. He thinks he tosseth all London on his own horns.
b. absol. = toss up, 14 b. (Cf. TOSS sb.1 9.)
1833. Nyren, Yng. Cricketer’s Tutor, 20. The parties shall toss for the choice of innings.
1893. D. J. Rankin, Zambesi Basin, iv. 66. We tossed who should have first shot. My friend won.
10. To throw or jerk up suddenly without letting go; † spec. to brandish (arms) (obs.). To toss oars, ‘to throw them up out of the rowlocks, and raise them perpendicularly an-end’ (Adm. Smyth).
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. vii. 48. Sword,… speare,… Where haue yee left your lord, that could so well you tosse?
1598. Barret, Theor. Warres, III. i. 37. The good Picquier ought to learne to tosse his pike well.
1626. Gouge, Serm. Dignity Chivalry, § 11. More fit … to lift a pitchforke then to tosse a pike.
1697. Dryden, Alexander’s Feast, vi. Behold how they toss their torches on high.
1718. Pope, Iliad, III. 323. Paris thy son, and Sparta’s King advance, In measur’d lists to toss the weighty lance.
1830. Marryat, King’s Own, xxx. The boats’ crews tossed their oars while the cheers were given.
1894. C. N. Robinson, Brit. Fleet, 181. The junior salutes the senior, if the latter be royalty, or a flag-officer, by tossing oars.
† b. To drink out of (a cup, etc.), tilting it up; hence, to empty by drinking; = toss off, 12 a. Obs.
1568. Fulwel, Like will to Like, B iv. From morning til night I sit tossing the black bole.
1695. Congreve, Love for L., III. xv. For my Part, I mean to toss a Can, and remember my Sweet-Heart, a-fore I turn in.
1708. Hudson, in Hearne, Collect., 3 Aug. (O. H. S.), II. 123. Who wth our merry Greek tosst a bottle.
11. To lift, jerk, or throw up (the head, etc.) with a sudden, impatient, or spirited movement.
1591. Sylvester, Ivry, 119. Some Savage Bull … tosses his head on high.
1678. Dryden, All for Love, I. i. Sea-horses … Toss’d up their heads, and dash’d the ooze about ’em.
1756. C. Smart, trans. Horace, Sat., I. vi. (1826), II. 55. Do you … toss up your nose at obscure people.
1822. Scott, Nigel, i. Tossing his head as one who valued not the raillery to which he had been exposed.
1849. Miss Mulock, Ogilvies, i. The first speaker tossed her head.
IV. With adverbs.
12. Toss off. a. To drink off with energetic action. b. To dispose of in an off-hand manner.
c. 1590. Greene, Fr. Bacon, i. 15. Tossing off ale and milk in country cans.
1816. T. L. Peacock, Headlong Hall, xi. Having … insisted on every gentleman tossing off a half-pint bumper.
1840. Dickens, Old C. Shop, lxii. Drink that…. Toss it off, don’t leave any heel-tap.
1845. Judd, Margaret, II. i. Have you read Cynthia?… It is a delightful thing to toss off a dull hour with.
1884. G. Allen, Philistia, II. 32. Herbert, having tossed off his coffee.
13. Toss out. See prec. senses and OUT; in quot., to dress smartly, ‘trick out.’
1759. Goldsm., Bee, 13 Oct. (On Dress). A damsel, tossed out in all the gaiety of fifteen.
14. Toss up. a. See also prec. senses and UP.
1588. Deloney, Q. Eliz. at Tilbury, Poems (1912), 476. Tossing up her plume of feathers to them all as they did stand.
1602. Marston, Ant. & Mel., III. Wks. 1856, I. 36. Rubbing my quiet bosome, tossing up A gratefull spirit to Omnipotence!
1719. De Foe, Crusoe, I. 59. The Boat … lay as the Wind and the Sea had toss’d her up upon the Land.
1743. in Howell, St. Trials (1813), XVII. 1179. One’s hair is now tossed up in such a manner that its hard to distinguish between a person’s own hair and a wig.
1840. Marryat, Poor Jack, vi. We tossed up our oars, and laid by.
1859. Habits Gd. Society, vii. 249. The head should … not [be] tossed up nor jerked on one side with that air of pertness.
b. absol. To toss a coin or some object in the air to wager on which side it will fall, or to determine a question by this: see HEAD sb. 3 b.
1704. Hymn Vict., lviii. Victoria Tosses-up for Cross or Pile.
1762. Wilkes, Lett. to Earl Temple (1769), I. 31. They tossed up, and it fell to my adjutant to give the word.
1809. Malkin, Gil Blas, I. v. ¶ 9. Tossing up for heads or tails was not my ruling passion.
1861. Dickens, Gt. Expect., xxxi. Some inclining to both opinions said ‘toss up for it.’
† c. To cook or dress (food, a meal) hastily; to prepare, to serve up. Also fig. Obs.
c. 1685. Villiers (Dk. Buckhm.), Confer., Wks. 1705, II. 54. Our ancient Matron had tossed up a nice Breakfast, out of the remainders of the Capons.
1710. Tatler, No. 258, ¶ 1. To toss up the Fragments of a Feast into a Ragoust.
1737. Bracken, Farriery Impr. (1757), II. 137. The Booksellers … had a better Knack at tossing up a Title [for a book].
1818. Scott, Rob Roy, viii. But you have not dined—we’ll have something, nice and ladylike, sweet and pretty like yourself, tossed up in a trice.
