lob
1 Americanverb (used with object)
-
Tennis. to hit (a ball) in a high arc to the back of the opponent's court.
-
to fire (a missile, as a shell) in a high trajectory so that it drops onto a target.
-
Cricket. to bowl (the ball) with a slow underhand motion.
-
to throw (something) slowly in an arc.
verb (used without object)
noun
-
Tennis. a ball hit in a high arc to the back of the opponent's court.
-
Cricket. a ball bowled with a slow underhand motion.
-
British Dialect. a slow, heavy, dull-witted person.
noun
noun
-
a ball struck in a high arc
-
cricket a ball bowled in a slow high arc
verb
-
to hit or kick (a ball) in a high arc
-
informal to throw, esp in a high arc
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
have lobbedperfect
-
has lobbedperfect 3rd person singular
-
is lobbingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
have been lobbingperfect progressive
-
has been lobbingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
lobbingparticiple
-
are lobbingprogressive
-
am lobbingprogressive 1st person singular
-
lobssingular 3rd person
Past
-
had lobbedperfect
-
had been lobbingperfect progressive
-
were lobbingprogressive plural
-
was lobbingprogressive singular
-
lobbedparticiple
-
lobbedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of lob
1325–75; in earlier sense, to behave like a lob ( Middle English lobbe, lob bumpkin, clumsy person, originally pollack; Old English: spider; basic sense, something pendulous); cognate with Middle Low German, Middle Dutch lobbe dangling part, stockfish, etc.
Explanation
When you lob something, you throw it up very high. If you lob a baseball from the outfield to the pitcher, you hurl it in an arc that ends right where the pitcher can catch it. If you propel an object in an arc, you lob it. For example, a soldier might lob a missile at the enemy. Tennis players can lob a ball by hitting it up and over the net. Today the noun lob means a throw (or hit) that follows an arc, but in the 14th century a lob was a "lazy lout," and in the 16th century it was "a lumpish thing."
Vocabulary lists containing lob
The Smashing Lexicon of Tennis
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Wild Robot
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Heat
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But then, the NFL is full of those and Seattle had made them with most of the other key players of the LOB era.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 10, 2022
The Seahawks took two safeties in 2017, knowing that the LOB was getting older and more expensive — Tedric Thompson in the fourth and Mike Tyson in the sixth.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 25, 2022
It was 24-10 and the great LOB gave up two touchdowns before Russ had to come in and try to salvage the game with two minutes to go.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 18, 2022
And the defense, regardless of coordinators, got a lot better once the LOB arrived and worse once they moved on.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 19, 2022
LOB is very small, and probably no one has ever looked so old except some newborn child.
From Dear Brutus by Barrie, J. M. (James Matthew)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
