bossa

Catalan

Etymology

Inherited from Late Latin bursa. Doublet of borsa.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [ˈbo.sə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [ˈbo.sa]

Noun

bossa f (plural bosses)

1. bag, pouch
2. purse, handbag
3. (figurative) money

Derived terms

• bossa d'aigua calenta
• bossa de mà
• bossada
• bosser
• bosses de pastor
• bossut

Further reading

• “bossa” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “bossa”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025
• “bossa” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “bossa” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

French

Verb

bossa

1. third-person singular past historic of bosser

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from French bosse (“hump, lump, small elevation”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɔ.sɐ/

• Hyphenation: bos‧sa

Noun

bossa f (plural bossas)

1. (anatomy) hump (rounded mass, as in a camel)
2. (anatomy) hunch (protuberance)
3. (colloquial, dated) talent, skill, vocation
4. (colloquial, by extension, dated) quality of being eye-catching, conspicuous, notable or distinguishing
   • 1941, “Eu Fui À Europa”, Chiquinho Sales (music), performed by Linda Batista:

     Meti minha bossa
     Pra mostrar que a gente nossa
     Também sabe cantar
     Com aquele molho de abafar

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Derived terms

• bossa nova

Further reading

• “bossa”, in iDicionário Aulete (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2025
• “bossa”, in Dicio – Dicionário Online de Português (in Portuguese), Porto: 7Graus, 2009–2025
• “bossa”, in Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisboa: Academia das Ciências de Lisboa, 2001–2025
• “bossa”, in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2025
• “bossa”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2025

Sassarese

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish bolsa, from Late Latin bursa, a borrowing from Ancient Greek βύρσα (búrsa, “hide, wine-skin”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbossa/

Noun

bossa f (plural bossi)

1. bag, specifically:
   1. A flexible container.
   2. A handbag.
   3. A schoolbag.

Derived terms

• bossaredda
• bossetta
• segabossi
• tagliabossi

Related terms

• bossàggiu

References

• Rubattu, Antoninu (2006) Dizionario universale della lingua di Sardegna, 2nd edition, Sassari: Edes