Ross

See also: ross and Roß

English

Alternative forms

• (Scottish surname): Rosse

Etymology

• As a Scottish surname, from several places such as Roose in Cumbria or Roos in Yorkshire, both from Scottish Gaelic ros (“promontory”) or a Brythonic parallel of its source such as Welsh rhos (“moor, heath”). There were also several Norman families in Scotland who took their name from Rots in Calvados. Compare Rose, Rhodes.
• As an English surname, from Wrose in Shipley, with loss of initial w.
• As an English and German surname, from derivatives of the old Germanic root common in names *hrōþi (“fame”). Compare Rossell.
• As a Cornish surname, from several places in Cornwall deriving from ros (“heathland”), related to the above Celtic word meaning "heath" or "promontory." See Rouse.
• As a Jewish and German occupational surname for a breeder of horses, from the regional/poetic noun Ross (“horse”).
• Also as a Jewish surname, Americanized from Rose.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɹɔs/
• (cot–caught merger) IPA^(key): /ɹɑs/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɹɒs/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒs

Proper noun

Ross (plural Rosses)

1. An English and Scottish habitational surname from Scottish Gaelic derived from any of several places of that name, from Scottish Gaelic ros (“headland”).
2. A male given name transferred from the surname, of early 19th century and later usage.
3. A number of places in the United States:
   1. A town in Marin County, California.
   2. A city and village in North Dakota.
   3. A census-designated place in Ohio.
   4. A city and town in Texas.
   5. A town in Wisconsin.
   6. A number of townships in the United States, listed under Ross Township.
4. A small town in the West Coast region, South Island, New Zealand.

See also

• Easter Ross
• New Ross
• Ross and Cromarty
• Ross County
• Ross Dependency
• Ross Island
• Ross-on-Wye
• Ross Sea
• Ross-shire
• South Ross
• Wester Ross

Anagrams

• RSOs, SROs, sors

Alemannic German

Etymology

From Middle High German ros (“horse”), from Old High German ros, hros (“horse”), from Proto-West Germanic *hross (“horse”).

Noun

Ross n

1. (Uri) horse

Synonyms

• Kawall

References

• Abegg, Emil, (1911) Die Mundart von Urseren (Beiträge zur Schweizerdeutschen Grammatik. IV.) [The Dialect of Urseren], Frauenfeld, Switzerland: Huber & Co.

German

Alternative forms

• Roß (superseded)

Etymology

From Middle High German ros (“horse”), from Old High German ros, hros (“horse”), from Proto-West Germanic *hross.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʁɔs/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔs
• Hyphenation: Ross

Noun

Ross n (strong, genitive Rosses, plural Rosse or Rösser, diminutive Rösschen n or Rösslein n or Rösserl n or Rössal n or Rössel n)

1. (regional or poetic) horse

   Synonym: Pferd

   • 1876, Richard Wagner, Siegfried, Act 3, Scene 3:

     ... Dort seh’ ich Grane, mein selig Roß: \ wie weidet er munter der mit mir schlief! \ Mit mir hat ihn Siegfried erweckt. — Richard Wagner, Siegfried, Dritter Aufzug, Dritte Szene.

     I see Grane there, my trusty steed: \ how happily he grazes, he who was asleep like me! \ Siegfried woke him along with me.

   • 1914, His Majesty the Emperor of Germany Wilhelm II, An das Deutsche Volk

     Wir werden uns wehren bis zum letzten Hauch von Mann und Roß

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 2001, “Rein raus”, performed by Rammstein:

     Ich bin der Reiter / Du bist das Ross / Ich hab den Schlüssel / Du hast das Schloß / Die Tür geht auf / Ich trete ein / Das Leben kann so prachtvoll sein

     I am the rider / You are the horse / I have the key / You have the castle / The door opens / I enter / Life can be so gorgeous

2. (regional, derogatory) stupid person, moron

Usage notes

• Ross is a normal word for “horse”, alongside Pferd, in many parts of southern Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. In northern and central Germany, Ross is not part of the colloquial vocabulary and is perceived as poetic, archaic, or restricted to noble riding horses.
• The plurals Rosse and Rösser are equally acceptable and roughly equally common, though the former is traditionally preferred in written standard German.

Declension

Declension of Ross [neuter, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	das	Ross	die	Rosse, Rösser
genitive	eines	des	Rosses	der	Rosse, Rösser
dative	einem	dem	Ross, Rosse1	den	Rossen, Rössern
accusative	ein	das	Ross	die	Rosse, Rösser

¹Now rare, see notes.

Derived terms

• Dampfross
• Feuerross
• hohes Ross
• Kampfross
• Ross und Reiter
• Ross und Reiter nennen
• Rosskastanie
• Rosskur
• Schlachtross
• Stahlross
• Streitross

 

Related terms

• Walross (originally from North Germanic)

See also

• Einhufer, Gaul, Klepper, Pferd, Reitpferd

Further reading

• “Ross” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “Ross” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
• “Ross” in Duden online
• Ross on the German Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^de

Hunsrik

Etymology

From Portuguese roça.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ros/

Noun

Ross f (plural Rosse)

1. countryside

Further reading

• Online Hunsrik Dictionary