dobby

[ dob-ee ]

noun,plural dob·bies.
  1. British Dialect. a fatuous person; fool.

  2. Textiles.

    • an attachment on a loom, used in weaving small patterns.

    • Also called dobby weave . a small geometric or floral pattern produced by this attachment.

    • a fabric having such a pattern.

Origin of dobby

1
1685–95; akin to dial. dovie stupid, imbecile, derivative of dove to doze, dote, Old English dofian, dobian; cognate with German toben to rage; compare Old English dobende decrepit

Words Nearby dobby

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How to use dobby in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for dobby

dobby

/ (ˈdɒbɪ) /


nounplural -bies
  1. an attachment to a loom, used in weaving small figures

Origin of dobby

1
C17: perhaps from Dobby, pet form of Robert

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