Floss
Floss (?; 195) , noun
[Italian floscio flabby, soft, from Latin fluxus flowing, loose, slack. See Flux, n.]
1.
(Botany) The slender styles of the pistillate flowers of maize; also called silk.
2.
Untwisted filaments of silk, used in embroidering.
3.
A body feather of an ostrich. Flosses are soft, and gray from the female and black from the male.
Collocations (2)
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. — McElrath
Floss , noun
[Compare German floss a float.]
1.
A small stream of water. [English]
2.
Fluid glass floating on iron in the puddling furnace, produced by the vitrification of oxides and earths which are present.
Collocations (1)
Floss hole , (a) A hole at the back of a puddling furnace, at which the slags pass out. (b) The tap hole of a melting furnace. — Knight