Plural of boss; people in charge of workers or organizations, or raised decorative studs on surfaces.
From Dutch baas 'master, foreman', borrowed into American English in the 17th century. The decorative sense comes from Old French boce 'swelling, hump', ultimately from a different root meaning a protruding ornament.
The word 'boss' was originally considered slang in American English because it came from Dutch settlers, while 'master' was the proper English term. Ironically, 'boss' became standard while 'master' fell out of favor in workplace contexts due to slavery associations.
Historically coded masculine; workplace power structures have centered men in authority roles, making 'boss' default-male in perception despite gender-neutral definition.
Word is neutral; use with care in narratives to avoid defaulting to male pronouns ('my boss...he') without subject confirmation.
Women in leadership have reclaimed 'boss' language; 'girl boss' movements explicitly challenge historical male monopoly on authority framing.
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