mob

¹

[ mob ]

noun

1. a disorderly or riotous crowd of people.
2. a crowd bent on or engaged in lawless violence.
3. any group or collection of persons or things.
4. the common people; the masses; populace or multitude.
5. a criminal gang, especially one involved in drug trafficking, extortion, etc.
6. the Mob, Mafia ( def 1 ).
7. Sociology. a group of persons stimulating one another to excitement and losing ordinary rational control over their activity.
8. a flock, herd, or drove of animals:

   a mob of sheep.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a lawless, irrational, disorderly, or riotous crowd: mob instincts.

   mob rule;

   mob instincts.

2. directed at or reflecting the lowest intellectual level of the common people: the mob mentality.

   mob appeal;

   the mob mentality.

verb (used with object)

, mobbed, mob·bing.

1. to crowd around noisily, as from curiosity or hostility:

   Spectators mobbed the courtroom.

2. to attack in a riotous mob:

   The crowd mobbed the consulate.

3. Fox Hunting. to chop (a fox).

mob

²

[ mobmohb ]

noun

, Digital Technology.

1. (in a video game) a hostile nonplayer character that the player may target and fight.

MOB

³

1. mother of the bride.

MOB

¹

abbreviation for

1. mobile phone

mob

²

/ mɒb /

noun

1. 1. a riotous or disorderly crowd of people; rabble
   2. ( as modifier )

      mob violence

      mob law

2. derogatory.
   a group or class of people, animals, or things
3. a flock (of sheep) or a herd (of cattle, esp when droving)
4. derogatory.
   the masses
5. slang.
   a gang of criminals

verb

1. to attack in a group resembling a mob
2. to surround, esp in order to acclaim

   they mobbed the film star

3. to crowd into (a building, plaza, etc)
4. (of a group of animals of a prey species) to harass (a predator)

Derived Forms

• ˈmobber, noun
• ˈmobbish, adjective

Other Words From

• mobber mobbist noun
• mobbish adjective
• mobbish·ly adverb
• mobbish·ness noun
• mobbism noun
• un·mobbed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of mob¹

First recorded in 1680–90; short for Latin mōbile vulgus “the movable (i.e., changeable, inconstant) common people”

Origin of mob²

First recorded in 1980–85; coined by British video game developer Richard Bartle; shortening of mobile (in the sense “a moving sculpture hung from the ceiling”)

Word History and Origins

Origin of mob¹

C17: shortened from Latin mōbile vulgus the fickle populace; see mobile

Example Sentences

The highest form of political courage is doing the right thing when the mob is against it.

From The Daily Beast

General Brent Scowcroft, national security adviser to the first President Bush, shuffled head-down through the mob.

From The Daily Beast

She apparently could even pick out her man of choice in a post-concert mob.

From The Daily Beast

Moments later, a mob of about 25 young men burst through the door and unleashed a brutal attack on Singh.

From The Daily Beast

Rather than helping though, policemen were actually complicit in the mob violence.

From The Daily Beast

The parliament house and library of the British provinces, at Montreal, burned by a mob.

From Project Gutenberg

The moon rose on a terrified mob trudging or riding the forty miles of road between Meerut and the Mogul capital.

From Project Gutenberg

Two artillery subalterns who had fought their way through a mob stricken with panic for the moment, soon arrived.

From Project Gutenberg

The mob of relatives and friends wrecked and burned the castle, massacring the retainers to a man.

From Project Gutenberg

They are quite sure "the mob" will do no harm if it is vigilantly watched and thoroughly overawed.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• jostle
• swarm