dolossie, noun
/ˈdɔlɔsi/
- Forms:
- Also dol’ ossi.
1.
a. dolos sense 2 a.
1912 F. Bancroft Veldt Dwellers 2Upon their skill as marksmen the number of dol’ossi — which to farm children in South Africa represent cattle, i.e. wealth — depended. The fundamental rule of the game was that each marksman should aim at the coveted toy with closed eyes. If successful in hitting the dol’ossi.., the treasured ivory-joint became his.
1969 D. Child Yesterday’s Children 40A whole team of these oxen would be ‘inspanned’ to a toy wagon made of sticks and reeds. The metatarsal and metacarpal bones of sheep and goats were also used as dolossies or miniature oxen.
b. dolos sense 2 b.
1913 C. Pettman Africanderisms 148Dollossi, A game played by children with the small sheep or goat bones above mentioned.
1955 V. De Kock Fun They Had 65Many of the early visitors to South Africa have remarked on the game played with such obvious enjoyment by farm children, and called by them dolossies.
2. dolos sense 1.
1967 O. Walker Hippo Poacher 72You should find out what your dolossies (bones) say to free him of the spells of witchcraft that beset him here.
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