Floss
FLOSS
/flɔːs/
A soft thread used to clean between the teeth, or the action of cleaning between teeth with thread.
Refers specifically to interdental thread cleaning in dentistry.
The story behind the word. Floss comes from Old French 'floche', meaning a soft tuft of silk or waste silk thread. In 1815, a New Orleans dentist named Levi Spear Parmly began advising patients to clean between their teeth with silk thread, founding modern dental flossing.
Word relationships
- thread: Thread is a general sewing strand, whereas floss in hygiene refers to specialized dental filaments.
Commonly confused with
- Brush: Brush cleans the accessible surfaces of teeth, while floss cleans the narrow tight gaps between them.
Word family
- flossing (noun): The action of cleaning interdental spaces with dental floss.
Collocations
- dental floss
- floss daily
- floss between teeth
- waxed floss
Example sentences
- "Dentists recommend that you floss at least once a day to remove food debris from between your teeth." Dental advice
- "The popular video game dance move known as the floss involved swinging arms around the torso in rapid motion." Pop culture note
Memory hook
FLOSS glides like fine silk across teeth! Threading thread between teeth for clean gums.
When not to use
Do not use floss when describing surface brushing or general teeth polishing.
Fun facts
- In 1994, a prisoner in West Virginia famously braided dental floss into a rope to scale a prison wall and escape!
- Only about 30% of adults floss daily, despite dental studies showing it prevents up to 80% of gum disease.
Related words
Also appears in
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