floss
floss — noun
1. a thin cord that you slide between your teeth to remove trapped food and help ke
a thin cord that you slide between your teeth to remove trapped food and help keep your gums clean.
After lunch, Jin pulled a piece of floss from the bathroom drawer.
a piece of floss
The dentist gave Noor floss and showed the steps on a model.
give someone floss
A bit of spinach came out when Christopher used floss after dinner.
Camille keeps floss in a small bag for meals at work.
- dental tape
a wider flat form of the same cleaning material
- floss pick
a small plastic tool that holds a short piece of floss
文法句型
use floss
a piece of floss
用法筆記
Usually treated as a material noun in everyday speech, so people often say 'use floss' rather than 'use a floss'. A countable form is more natural when you mean one strand or one floss pick.
常見錯誤
2. soft fine fibre, or thread made from it, used in embroidery and other delicate s
soft fine fibre, or thread made from it, used in embroidery and other delicate sewing.
Ayana stitched blue flowers with silk floss along the edge of the pillow.
silk floss
The shop sold floss in bright colors for friendship bracelets and key rings.
floss in bright colors
Loose floss from the old scarf clung to Hugo's black sweater.
Grandma sorted the embroidery floss by shade before starting the tablecloth.
- embroidery thread
the most direct everyday term for the sewing use
- fibre
broader word for the soft material before it is twisted into thread
文法句型
embroidery floss
floss in bright colors
用法筆記
This sense can name either the soft material itself or the decorative thread made from it. Distinguish it from sense 1, which is specifically for cleaning between the teeth.
3. an internet dance in which the arms swing from front to back while the hips move
an internet dance in which the arms swing from front to back while the hips move the other way.
At the school show, Andrew taught the younger children the floss during music break.
teach someone the floss
A short video of Constanza doing the floss spread across the class chat.
do the floss
The crowd cheered when the mascot finished the game with a quick floss.
Noor practiced the floss in the mirror before the talent contest.
- dance move
broader term for one named action in a dance
- viral dance
stresses the online popularity rather than the exact motion
文法句型
do the floss
learn the floss
用法筆記
Usually appears with 'the' because speakers treat it as the name of one specific dance. It is strongly tied to internet and school-performance contexts.
floss — verb
- flosspresent simple I / you / we / they
- flosses3rd person singular
- flossing-ing form
- flossedpast simple
1. to move dental floss between the teeth to clear away bits of food.
to move dental floss between the teeth to clear away bits of food.
Every night, Ilan flosses before brushing and rinsing his mouth.
floss before brushing
The hygienist asked Shanti to floss gently near the sore gum.
floss gently
I always floss after popcorn because small pieces stick between my back teeth.
Please floss before the checkup so the dentist can see your gums clearly.
- clean between the teeth
plain descriptive phrase rather than a single verb
- use dental floss
more explicit wording that names the tool
文法句型
floss your teeth
floss after meals
用法筆記
Often used intransitively in health advice, as in 'floss every night', but dental staff may also use it transitively in phrases like 'floss your teeth'.
常見錯誤
2. to act in a flashy way so other people notice you and think you look impressive.
to act in a flashy way so other people notice you and think you look impressive.
On social media, Christopher flossed with photos of his new watch and rented car.
floss on social media
At the reunion, Hugo flossed in a gold jacket and dark glasses.
floss in flashy clothes
The singer flossed for the cameras before entering the award hall.
Jin told his brother to stop flossing online and help carry the chairs.
- blend in
avoid attracting special attention
- stay modest
not try to impress others with what you have
文法句型
floss on social media
floss for the cameras
用法筆記
This slang sense is strongly informal and often relates to clothes, money, or public attention. It is usually intransitive, with the admired thing mentioned in a phrase such as 'with photos of' or 'for the cameras'.
常見錯誤
3. to do the internet dance where your arms whip from front to back as your hips sh
to do the internet dance where your arms whip from front to back as your hips shift the other way.
After the chorus started, Constanza flossed beside the drum set.
floss beside the stage
The campers laughed as their coach flossed by the fire after dinner.
floss by the fire
Andrew filmed himself flossing in the kitchen and sent the clip to friends.
During the break, the mascot flossed while the band played louder.
- do the floss
full phrase that states the same action more explicitly
- dance
much broader verb that does not name this specific move
文法句型
floss to the beat
floss after the chorus
用法筆記
This use names a specific dance move and is usually intransitive. It often appears in performance, challenge, or school-event contexts rather than in formal writing.