toss

v. to throw something lightly or carelessly, often with an upward motion.

v. to throw something with a light, casual, or careless motion, typically using an underhand or upward trajectory.

“He tossed the car keys to her across the kitchen table.”

“She tossed the crumpled draft into the wastepaper basket without a second thought, frustrated by her lack of progress.”

v. to throw a coin into the air to make a decision based on which side lands up.

v. to flip a coin into the air to decide a matter by chance or to determine the start of a sporting event.

“Let's toss a coin to see who has to wash the dishes tonight.”

“The referee gathered the two captains in the centre of the pitch to toss the coin and determine which side would kick off.”

v. to mix food, like a salad or pasta, by moving it around lightly.

v. to mix ingredients lightly by lifting and dropping them repeatedly, ensuring an even coating of dressing or sauce.

“Toss the salad with some olive oil and lemon juice before serving.”

“The chef instructed the apprentice to toss the pasta gently in the pan to ensure every strand was coated in the garlic butter.”

v. to move around a lot in bed because you cannot sleep.

v. to move restlessly or turbulently; frequently used in the phrase 'toss and turn' regarding sleep.

“I spent the whole night tossing and turning because of the heat.”

“The small boat began to toss violently as the storm moved in from the Atlantic, making the passengers feel quite uneasy.”

v. to search a place quickly and roughly, often leaving it messy.

v. to search a room or building thoroughly and often destructively, typically in the context of a police raid or a burglary.

“The burglars tossed the entire apartment looking for hidden jewellery.”

“The detectives had clearly tossed the suspect's office, leaving filing cabinets open and papers scattered across the floor.”

Informal

n. the act of throwing something lightly.

n. an instance of throwing something with a light or casual motion.

“With a quick toss, he sent the ball over the fence to the children.”

“A casual toss of the bouquet followed the ceremony, with several guests scrambling to catch the flowers.”

n. something that is rubbish or total nonsense.

n. a term for nonsense or something of very poor quality.

“Don't listen to him; he's talking absolute toss.”

“The critics dismissed the new play as complete toss, citing the weak dialogue and predictable plot as its main failings.”

British English · Slang