floss

Most people know "floss" as the thin string used to clean between the teeth, and that is still its most common everyday meaning. The word also refers to a soft, fine thread, especially silk or cotton thread used for sewing and embroidery. In modern slang, "to floss" can mean to show off your money, clothes, or style. It is also the name of a popular dance move. So the word can point to hygiene, sewing, showing off, or pop culture, depending on the situation.

While most people first think of cleaning between the teeth, "floss" has several related meanings. The best-known one is the thin cord used in dental care to remove food and plaque from the spaces between teeth. Another common meaning is a soft thread, especially silk, cotton, or similar thread used in embroidery and other needlework. This sense grew from the older idea of fine, silky fibers, especially broken silk fibers.

From that older fiber sense, the word was also used for things that look light, soft, or threadlike. For example, it can refer to the silky strands on an ear of corn, and in some older or special uses it appears in phrases such as "candy floss" for cotton candy. These uses are less common today, but they still help explain the history of the word.

The word later picked up a slang sense in popular culture. To "floss" can mean to show off wealth, fashion, jewelry, or social status in a proud and noticeable way. It also became widely known as the name of a dance move, "the floss," in which the arms swing from side to side around the body. Taken together, the word moves from teeth, to thread, to silky fibers, and then into slang and dance, making it a small word with a surprisingly wide range of uses.