bobby
noun
a policeman.
bobby
1 American
[bob-ee]
/ ˈbɒb i /
noun
British Informal.
-
bobbies
plural
Bobby
2
American
[bob-ee]
/ ˈbɒb i /
Or
Bobbie
noun
bobby
British
/ ˈbɒbɪ /
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of bobby
1835–45; special use of Bobby, for Sir Robert Peel, who set up the Metropolitan Police system of London in 1828
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.
See Examples For:
“It’s a visual of innocence for this girl to wear these grown-up shoes with a heel, and then pair them with these youthful bobby socks,” he explained of Dorothy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 24, 2025
He met his wife, Mary Lou, in 1956, brunette and pretty, wearing bobby socks at a fraternity mixer at Michigan State.
From Salon ● Nov. 14, 2024
But Schwartz told me that he sees even this kind of damage most often when people use bobby pins or small spatulas to clean their ears.
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2023
“It’s hard to believe there’s bobby pins, a cap and a full head of her own hair under the wig,” McDonald said as he pointed to a photograph of LuPone wearing it.
From New York Times ● Nov. 29, 2022
She had a sweet, simple face and dark, thick hair held back with bobby pins.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
In the early 1960s, brothers Cecil and Bobby Womack performed together in the Valentinos, whose biggest hit, “It’s All Over Now,” was covered by the Rolling Stones in 1964.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
In Key West, Bobby Kuchinsky, general manager of Half Shell Raw Bar, terminated six of his employees, including prep cooks and bussers, who had TPS protections.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Ricky Bobby spends the rest of his life attempting to follow in his father’s tire tracks, working his way up to be in the big show but not a star.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
A mistake many people make, Bobby says, is thinking that really, really liking someone should supersede whatever challenges they might face.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
Bobby looked on in wonderment, understanding some of the jargon and trying to comprehend the rest.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
She added: "That's why we're putting almost 3,000 more bobbies on the beat in neighbourhood roles this year."
From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2025
More than 10,000 police officers will be on duty Monday, with London bobbies supplemented by reinforcements from all of Britain’s 43 police forces.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 18, 2022
They’re happier and sharper, and the rooftop concert crackles, down to McCartney ridiculing the bobbies who shut them down.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 27, 2021
Rather than stopping the prank, the bobbies simply insisted the Americans don life jackets and be accompanied by a police launch.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 3, 2016
Look at the bobbies tryin' to run 'em in.
From Punch 1893.07.29 by Various
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.
