BOSS  . (I) (From the O . Eng. boce, a swelling, cf . Ital. bozza, and Fr. bosse, possibly connected with the O . Ger. bozzn. to

beat) . BOSSUET 2 8 7 a round protuberance; the projecting centre or " umbo " of a buckler; in geology a projection of rock through strata of another species; in architecture, the projecting keystone of the ribs of a vault which masks their junction; the term is also applied to similar projecting blocks at every intersection . The boss was often richly carved, generally with conventional foliage but sometimes with angels, animals or grotesque figures . The boss was also employed in the flat timber ceilings of the 15th century, where it formed the junction of cross-ribs . (2) (From the Dutch baas, a word used by the Dutch settlers in New York for " master," and so generally used by the Kaffirs in South Africa; connected with the Ger . Base, cousin, meaning a " chief kinsman," the head of a household or family), a colloquial term, first used in America, for an employer, a foreman, and generally any one who gives orders, especially in American political slang for the manager of a party organization .