fob

¹

[fob]

noun

1. a small pocket just below the waistline in pants, designed for a watch, keys, change, etc.

2. especially formerly,

   1. a short chain or ribbon, usually with a medallion or similar ornament, attached to a watch and worn hanging from a pocket.

   2. the medallion or ornament itself.

3. key fob.

   The fob allows students 24/7 access into the residence building and their rooms.

   I could never find my nail clipper in my purse, so now I’m using it as a fob on my keychain.

fob

²

[fob]

verb (used with object)

fobbed, fobbing 

1. Archaic.,  to cheat; deceive.

verb phrase

1. fob off

   1. to cheat someone by substituting something spurious or inferior; palm off (often followed byon ).

      He tried to fob off an inferior brand on us.

   2. to put (someone) off by deception or trickery.

      She fobbed us off with false promises.

f.o.b.

³

Or F.O.B.

abbreviation

Commerce.

1. free on board: without charge to the buyer for goods placed on board a carrier at the point of shipment.

   automobiles shipped f.o.b. Detroit.

fob

¹

/ fɒb /

noun

1. a chain or ribbon by which a pocket watch is attached to a waistcoat

2. any ornament hung on such a chain

3. a small pocket in a man's waistcoat, for holding a watch

4. a metal or plastic tab on a key ring

fob

²

/ fɒb /

verb

1. an archaic word for cheat

fob

³

/ fɒb /

noun

1. slang,  a Pacific Islander who has newly arrived in New Zealand

f.o.b.

⁴

abbreviation

1. free on board

Word History and Origins

Origin of fob¹

First recorded in 1645–55; origin uncertain; compare dialectal German Fuppe, Low German Fobke “pocket”

Origin of fob²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English fobben; perhaps cognate with German foppen “to delude, kid, tease” ( fop ) or, alternatively, akin to French fourbe “cheat, swindler” (from Old French forbir “to clean”; furbish ( def. ) )

Origin of fob³

First recorded in 1870–75

Word History and Origins

Origin of fob¹

C17: probably of Germanic origin; compare German dialect Fuppe pocket

Origin of fob²

C15: probably from German foppen to trick

Origin of fob³

C20: from f ( resh ) o ( ff ) ( the ) b ( oat )

Example Sentences

"I feel that they're fobbing me off really. I've reported this crime. It is the police's job to investigate it," she said.

From BBC

"Too much of my job really is taken up advising victims who feel fobbed off by the police when they report coercive control," she said.

From BBC

During a search of the homes, investigators found a loaded magazine for a firearm, ski masks, key fobs for vehicles, a tool used to access vehicle diagnostic information, several replica firearms, ammunition and steel chains.

From Los Angeles Times

He added the number of parties involved could be "depressing for a shared owner; that feeling of being passed from pillar to post and being fobbed off at different parts of the process".

From BBC

The pocket watch, its chain and fob was found by divers at the bottom of the lake, in Wisconsin, in September 1992.

From BBC