(intransitive, British, and, Ireland) To avoid work, shirk, etc.
(intransitive, British, and, Ireland) To avoid work, shirk, etc.
I am going to doss tomorrow when the match is on.
Doss means: To avoid work, shirk, etc.. It is mainly Irish English and may not be understood outside that context. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
Doss means: To avoid work, shirk, etc.. It is mainly Irish English and may not be understood outside that context. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
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(slang, intransitive) To be idle, to shirk one's work or duty.
British slang meaning to sleep rough or bed down outside, typically used in the context of homelessness, camping out without gear, or crashing somewhere improvised in the open air. It extends the broader doss vocabulary — doss means to sleep or crash somewhere casual — with the out specifying an outdoor location. Often used without judgment, describing a practical situation rather than a moral one.
(slang, intransitive) To sleep outside.
doss means: To avoid work, shirk, etc.. Register: informal, Irish English. Often not understood outside its region; gloss the word on first use when writing for an international audience. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
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(slang, British, and, Ireland) The avoidance of work.
I am going to have a doss tomorrow.
“I’m just gonna say it: Joshua Doss.”
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(intransitive, British, AU, 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.
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