dosser

/ˈdɒsə(ɹ)/

//ˈdɒsə(ɹ)// noun

"dosser" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dosser” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Someone who dosses, someone known for avoiding work.

Corpus desk

Index EN-dosser · dosser · English

dosser · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "D" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for dosser
PropertyValue
Headworddosser
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdɒsə(ɹ)/
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “dosser” in English

dosserranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

dosser is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈdɒsə(ɹ)/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for dosser, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From doss + -er. The correct English form is dosser, spelled D-O-S-S-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Someone who dosses, someone known for avoiding work.
  2. 2
    A homeless and jobless person.
  3. 3
    One who lodges in a doss-house.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how dosser appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Illustrating the strength of feeling, some said Dorries was “never here and is as useful as a chocolate teapot”, while “Dosser Dorries” posters appeared in the area.
  2. Formerly they endeavoured to occupy all the seats, but the lynx-eyed Metropolitan Police declined to allow any such proceedings, and the dossers, knowing the invariable kindness of the City Police, made tracks for that portion of the Embankment which, lying east of the Temple, comes under the control of the Civic Fathers.

Etymology

From doss + -er.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "dosser"?
"dosser" is spelled D-O-S-S-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɒsə(ɹ)/.
What does "dosser" mean?
As a noun, "dosser" means: Someone who dosses, someone known for avoiding work.
How do you pronounce "dosser"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dosser" is /ˈdɒsə(ɹ)/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "dosser"?
From doss + -er. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list