boss

boss

I. boss¹ S2 W3 /bɒs $ bɒːs/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Sense 1-3: Date: 1800-1900; Language: Dutch; Origin: baas 'man in charge']
[Sense 4: Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: boce, from Vulgar Latin bottia]
1. the person who employs you or who is in charge of you at work ⇨ employer, manager, supervisor:
I’ll have to ask my boss for a day off.
Since I’m my own boss (=I work for myself, rather than for an employer), my hours are flexible.
2. informal someone with an important position in a company or other organization:
the new boss at Paramount Pictures
union bosses
3. the person who is the strongest in a relationship, who controls a situation etc:
When you first start training a dog, it’s important to let him see that you’re the boss.
You’ve got to show the kids who’s boss.
4. a round decoration on the surface of something, for example on the ceiling of an old building
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ boss the person who is in charge of you at work. Boss sounds rather informal. The usual word to use in more formal English is manager: Does your boss know you're looking for another job?
▪ manager the person in charge of a business such as a shop, a bank, or a hotel, or of a part of a business: I'd like to speak to the hotel manager. | the sales manager | the manager of an Italian restaurant
▪ head the person who is in charge of an organization or a department within that organization: the head of the CIA | My wife's head of the French department at the university. | He was the former head of the American Cancer Society.
▪ chief the most important person or one of the most important people in an organization such as the police, the fire department, or the army: the chief of police | police/army/fire chiefs | Health chiefs have secured cash to build two new hospitals.
▪ president especially American English the person who is in charge of a large company or a department within a company: the president of CBS news | Angry shareholders called for the resignation of the company president.
▪ managing director British English the person who is in charge of the daily management of a company or organization: He's the managing director of a small printing firm.
▪ chief executive (also chief executive officer, CEO) the person who is in charge of the daily management of a company: the CEO of General Motors | Universal Studios is looking for a new chief executive.
▪ supervisor someone who is in charge of a group of workers, whose job is to make sure that the workers do what the manager wants: He was employed as a warehouse supervisor.
▪ line manager the manager who is directly in charge of you in a company: If you want to take a holiday, first ask your line manager.
▪ report to somebody if you report to someone in a company, that person is directly in charge of you: Jan is based in Birmingham and reports to the Head of Marketing.