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Today it means

boss

a person who is in charge of others; one's employer

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Where does the word "boss" come from? It comes from Dutch baas, and was adopted directly into English (c. 1640s).

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Where does the word "boss" come from? It comes from Dutch baas, and was adopted directly into English (c. 1640s).

Boss’s story begins in Dutch: baas meant “master, foreman.” Used by Dutch settlers for a master or foreman. It reached English by c. 1640s as boss. Picked up from Dutch colonists in New Amsterdam, partly to avoid saying "master". Today, boss means a person who is in charge of others; one's employer.

  1. Stage 1 · Dutch · c. 1600s baas "master, foreman", used by Dutch settlers for a master or foreman.
  2. Stage 2 · American English · c. 1640s boss "one's employer or supervisor", picked up from Dutch colonists in New Amsterdam, partly to avoid saying "master".

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