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Boss vs Captain - What's the difference?

boss | captain |

In transitive terms the difference between boss and captain

is that boss is to exercise authoritative control over; to lord over; to boss around; to tell (someone) what to do, often repeatedly while captain is to exercise command of a ship, aircraft or sports team.

As an adjective boss

is of excellent quality, first-rate.

boss

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) bos, bose, boce, from (etyl) .

Noun

(es)
  • A swelling, lump or protuberance in an animal, person or object.
  • (geology) A lump-like mass of rock, especially one projecting through a stratum of different rock.
  • A convex protuberance in hammered work, especially the rounded projection in the centre of a shield.
  • (mechanics) A protrusion, frequently a cylinder of material that extends beyond a hole.
  • (architecture) A knob or projection, usually at the intersection of ribs in a vault.
  • (archery) the target block, made of foam but historically made of hay bales, to which a target face is attached.
  • A wooden vessel for the mortar used in tiling or masonry, hung by a hook from the laths, or from the rounds of a ladder.
  • (Gwilt)
  • A head or reservoir of water.
  • Derived terms
    * bossless * bosslike * emboss

    Verb

    (es)
  • To decorate with bosses; to emboss.
  • Etymology 2

    Apparently a corruption of (bass).

    Noun

    (es)
  • (obsolete) A hassock or small seat, especially made from a bundle of straw.
  • * 1916 , , Macmillan Press Ltd, paperback, 36:
  • All were waiting : uncle Charles, who sat far away in the shadow of the window, Dante and Mr Casey, who sat in the easy chairs at either side of the hearth, Stephen, seated on a chair between them, his feet resting on a toasting boss .
    Synonyms
    * (hassock or footrest): footrest, hassock

    Etymology 3

    From (etyl) baas, from (etyl) . Originally a term of respect used to address an older relative, later, in , it began to mean a person in charge who is not a master.

    Noun

    (es)
  • A person who oversees and directs the work of others; a supervisor.
  • A person in charge of a business or company.
  • Chat turned to whisper when the boss entered the conference room.
    My boss complains that I'm always late to work.
  • A leader, the head of an organized group or team.
  • They named him boss because he had good leadership skills.
  • The head of a political party in a given region or district.
  • He is the Republican boss in Kentucky.
  • (informal) A term of address to a man.
  • Yes, boss .
  • (video games) An enemy, often at the end of a level, that is particularly challenging and must be beaten in order to progress.
  • (humorous) Wife.
  • There's no olive oil, will sunflower oil do? — I'll have to run that by the boss .
    Synonyms
    * (person in charge of a business or company): employer * (person who oversees and directs the work of others): line manager, manager, supervisor * (leader of an organized group or team): head, leader * (head of a political party in a given region or district): leader * : gov/guv (UK), guvnor (UK), mate (UK) * See also
    Derived terms
    * boss battle * boss fight * miniboss * final boss * show someone who's boss * you're the boss

    Verb

    (es)
  • To exercise authoritative control over; to lord over; to boss around; to tell (someone) what to do, often repeatedly.
  • * 1931 , Robert L. May, Rudolph'', ''The Red-Nosed Reindeer , Montgomery Ward (publisher):
  • By YOU last night’s journey was actually bossed / Without you, I’m certain, we’d all have been lost.
  • * 1932 , Lorine Pruette, The Parent and the Happy Child , page 76
  • His sisters bossed him and spoiled him. All their lives he was to go on being their little brother, who could do no wrong, because he was the baby; [...]
  • * 1967 , Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, The purloined paperweight , page 90
  • She bossed him, and he's never gotten over it. She still orders him around, and instead of telling her to go soak her head, he just says 'Yes, ma'am' as weak as a newborn jellyfish [...]
  • * 1980 , Jean Toomer The wayward and the seeking: a collection of writings by Jean Toomer , page 40
  • For if, on the one hand, I bossed him and showed him what to do and how to do it, [...]
    Derived terms
    * boss about, boss around

    Adjective

    (-)
  • (slang, American, Liverpool) Of excellent quality, first-rate.
  • ''Don't you think surfing's boss ?

    Anagrams

    * * ----

    captain

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A chief or leader.
  • *1526 , The (Bible) , tr. (William Tyndale), (w) 2:
  • *:For out of the shal come a captaine , whych shall govern my people israhel.
  • *1929 , (Rudyard Kipling), " The English Way":
  • *:Stand up-stand up, Northumberland! / I bid you answer true, / If England's King has under his hand / A Captain as good as you?
  • The person lawfully in command of a ship or other vessel.
  • :
  • An army officer with a rank between the most senior grade of lieutenant and major.
  • *
  • *:"A fine man, that Dunwody, yonder," commented the young captain , as they parted, and as he turned to his prisoner. "We'll see him on in Washington some day. He is strengthening his forces now against Mr. Benton out there.."
  • A naval officer with a rank between commander and commodore.
  • A commissioned officer in the United States Navy, Coast Guard]], NOAA Corps, or PHS Corps of a grade superior to a commander and junior to a . A captain is equal in grade or rank to an Army, Marine Corps, or [[United States Air Force, Air Force colonel.
  • (senseid)One of the athletes on a sports team who designated to make decisions, and is allowed to speak for his team with a referee or official.
  • *(Remember the Titans)
  • *:Captain's supposed to be the leader, right?
  • *{{quote-news, year=2012, date=May 5, author=Phil McNulty, work=BBC Sport
  • , title= Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool , passage=As Di Matteo celebrated and captain John Terry raised the trophy for the fourth time, the Italian increased his claims to become the permanent successor to Andre Villas-Boas by landing a trophy.}}
  • The leader of a group of workers.
  • :
  • A .
  • *1977 , Don Felder, Don Henley and Glenn Frey, lyricists, ,
  • *:So I called up the Captain , "Please bring me my wine." / He said: "We haven't had that spirit here since 1969."
  • (lb) An honorific title given to a prominent person. See colonel .
  • Synonyms

    * (leader of a group of workers) supervisor, straw boss, foreman * (commander of a vessel) skipper, master * (pilot in command) pilot, pilot in command * (military rank) CAPT, , Capt, CPT (abbreviation)

    Derived terms

    * bell captain * captain of the fleet * captain of industry * corvette captain * cruiser captain * flag captain * fleet captain * flotilla captain * frigate captain * senior captain

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To act as captain
  • To exercise command of a ship, aircraft or sports team.