bob

[ bob ]

/ bɒb /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bob ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a short, jerky motion: a bob of the head.

verb (used with object), bobbed, bob·bing.

to move quickly down and up: to bob the head.

to indicate with such a motion: to bob a greeting.

verb (used without object), bobbed, bob·bing.

to make a jerky motion with the head or body.

to move about with jerky, usually rising and falling motions: The ball bobbed upon the waves.

Verb Phrases

bob up, to emerge or appear, especially unexpectedly: A familiar face bobbed up in the crowd.

Nearby words

boatswain's chair, boatswain's pipe, boatwright, boatyard, boaz, bob, bob skate, bob up, bob veal, bob wire, boba tea

Origin of bob

First recorded in 1400–50, bob is from the late Middle English word bobben. See bob²

Definition for bob (2 of 13)

bob

[ bob ]

/ bɒb /

noun

a style of short haircut for women and children.

a docked horse's tail.

a dangling or terminal object, as the weight on a pendulum or a plumb line.

a short, simple line in a verse or song, especially a short refrain or coda.

Angling.

a knot of worms, rags, etc., on a string.
a float for a fishing line.

a bobsled or bob skate.

Scot. a bunch, cluster, or wad, especially a small bouquet of flowers.

Obsolete. walking beam.

verb (used with object), bobbed, bob·bing.

to cut short; dock: They bobbed their hair to be in style.

verb (used without object), bobbed, bob·bing.

to try to snatch floating or dangling objects with the teeth: to bob for apples.

Angling. to fish with a bob.

Origin of bob

1300–50; Middle English bobbe (noun) spray, cluster, bunch (of leaves, flowers, fruit, etc.); of uncertain origin

Definition for bob (3 of 13)

bob

[ bob ]

/ bɒb /

noun

a tap; light blow.

a polishing wheel of leather, felt, or the like.

verb (used with object), bobbed, bob·bing.

to tap; strike lightly.

Origin of bob

1350–1400; Middle English bobben to strike, beat, perhaps imitative See bop²

Definition for bob (4 of 13)

bob

⁴

[ bob ]

/ bɒb /

noun, plural bob. British Informal.

a shilling.

Origin of bob

⁴

First recorded in 1780–90; perhaps from Bob

Definition for bob (5 of 13)

Bob

[ bob ]

/ bɒb /

noun

a male given name, form of Robert.

Definition for bob (6 of 13)

Kiphuth

[ kip-uh th ]

/ ˈkɪp əθ /

noun

Robert J(ohn) H(erman)Bob, 1890–1967, U.S. swimming coach.

Definition for bob (7 of 13)

Marley

[ mahr-lee ]

/ ˈmɑr li /

noun

Robert NestaBob, 1945–81, Jamaican reggae singer, guitarist, and songwriter: popularizer of Rastafarianism.

Definition for bob (8 of 13)

Mathias

[ muh-thahy-uh s ]

/ məˈθaɪ əs /

noun

Robert BruceBob, 1930–2006, U.S. track-and-field athlete.

Definition for bob (9 of 13)

Beamon

[ bee-muh n ]

/ ˈbi mən /

noun

RobertBob, born 1946, U.S. track-and-field athlete.

Definition for bob (10 of 13)

Cousy

[ koo-zee ]

/ ˈku zi /

noun

Robert JosephBob, born 1928, U.S. basketball player.

Definition for bob (11 of 13)

Feller

[ fel-er ]

/ ˈfɛl ər /

noun

Robert William AndrewBobBullet Bob, 1918–2010, U.S. baseball player.

Definition for bob (12 of 13)

Fosse

[ fos-ee ]

/ ˈfɒs i /

noun

Robert LouisBob, 1927–87, U.S. dancer, choreographer, and theater and film director.

Definition for bob (13 of 13)

Gibson

[ gib-suh n ]

/ ˈgɪb sən /

noun

Althea,1927–2003, U.S. tennis player.

Charles Da·na

[dey-nuh] /ˈdeɪ nə/, 1867–1944, U.S. artist and illustrator.

Josh(ua),1911–47, U.S. baseball player.

RobertBob, born 1935, U.S. baseball pitcher.

a male given name.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for bob

When they get someone high profile, like the governor [Bob McDonnell] or like Teresa, they will abuse their positions.
How a ‘Real Housewife’ Survives Prison: ‘I Don’t See [Teresa Giudice] Having a Cakewalk Here’|Michael Howard|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But the title of Best Death definitely belongs to Bob Stookey, who got bitten by a zombie then captured by cannibals.
The Red Viper, Zoe Barnes, and the Best Fictional Deaths of 2014|Melissa Leon|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Bob Cratchit, the clerk who is the father of Tiny Tim and who meekly serves Scrooge, is paid fifteen shillings a week.
How Dickens and Scrooge Saved Christmas|Clive Irving|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This performance of Bob Dylan's 1971 blues tune features Clapton on guitar.
Joe Cocker's Deep Live Cuts|Asawin Suebsaeng|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Interestingly, the Bob Jones University report is, itself, a kind of religious document.
Church Sex Scandals Are Rooted in Theology|Jay Michaelson|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"I suppose I should have shown up," said Bob—concealing the fact that the idea had never occurred to him.
Back To Billabong|Mary Grant Bruce
"I don't suppose you dreamed he meant kidnapping either," observed Bob.
The Rules of the Game|Stewart Edward White
He was delighted to see Betty, who was an especial favorite of his, and much interested in her account of Bob's flight.
Betty Gordon in Washington|Alice B. Emerson
The result was that Mr. Wallace made preparations to go by air, much to the delight of Bob and Joe.
Secrets of the Andes|James H. Foster
Bob and Joe remained on deck with their fathers for some time, noting everything worthwhile that was visible about them.
The Forest of Mystery|James H. Foster

British Dictionary definitions for bob (1 of 11)

bob

/ (bɒb) /

verb bobs, bobbing or bobbed

to move or cause to move up and down repeatedly, as while floating in water

to move or cause to move with a short abrupt movement, as of the head

to make (a bow or curtsy)the little girl bobbed before the visitor

(intr usually foll by up) to appear or emerge suddenly

(intr; foll by under, below, etc) to disappear suddenly, as beneath a surface

(intr usually foll by for) to attempt to get hold (of a floating or hanging object, esp an apple) in the teeth as a game

noun

a short abrupt movement, as of the head

a quick curtsy or bow

bell-ringing a particular set of changes

angling

short for bobfloat
the topmost fly on a cast of three, often fished bobbing at the surface
this position on a wet-fly cast

Word Origin for bob

C14: of uncertain origin

British Dictionary definitions for bob (2 of 11)

bob

/ (bɒb) /

noun

a hairstyle for women and children in which the hair is cut short evenly all round the head

a dangling or hanging object, such as the weight on a pendulum or on a plumb line

a polishing disc on a rotating spindle. It is usually made of felt, leather, etc, impregnated with an abrasive material

short for bob skate, bobsleigh

a runner or pair of runners on a bobsled

angling a small knot of worms, maggots, etc, used as bait

a very short line of verse at the end of a stanza or preceding a rhyming quatrain (the wheel) at the end of a stanza

a refrain or burden with such a short line or lines

a docked tail, esp of a horse

British dialect a hanging cluster, as of flowers or ribbons

verb bobs, bobbing or bobbed

(tr) to cut (the hair) in a bob

(tr) to cut short (something, esp the tail of an animal); dock or crop

(intr) to ride on a bobsled

Word Origin for bob

C14 bobbe bunch of flowers, perhaps of Celtic origin

British Dictionary definitions for bob (3 of 11)

bob

/ (bɒb) /

verb bobs, bobbing or bobbed

to tap or cause to tap or knock lightly (against)

noun

a light knock; tap

Word Origin for bob

C13 bobben to rap, beat; see bop ²

British Dictionary definitions for bob (4 of 11)

bob

⁴

/ (bɒb) /

noun plural bob

British (formerly) an informal word for a shilling (def. 1)

Word Origin for bob

C19: of unknown origin

British Dictionary definitions for bob (5 of 11)

Bob

/ (bɒb) /

noun

Bob's your uncle slang everything is or will turn out all right

Word Origin for Bob

C19: perhaps from pet form of Robert

British Dictionary definitions for bob (6 of 11)

feller

/ (ˈfɛlə) /

noun

a person or thing that fells

an attachment on a sewing machine for felling seams

British Dictionary definitions for bob (7 of 11)

feller

/ (ˈfɛlə) /

noun

a nonstandard variant of fellow

British Dictionary definitions for bob (8 of 11)

fosse

foss

/ (fɒs) /

noun

a ditch or moat, esp one dug as a fortification

Word Origin for fosse

C14: from Old French, from Latin fossa; see fossa 1

British Dictionary definitions for bob (9 of 11)

Gibson

/ (ˈɡɪbsən) /

noun

mainly US a cocktail consisting of four or more parts dry gin and one part dry vermouth, iced and served with a pickled pearl onion

British Dictionary definitions for bob (10 of 11)

Gibson

/ (ˈɡɪbsən) /

noun

Mel. born 1956, Australian film actor and director: his films include Mad Max (1979), Hamlet (1990), Braveheart (1996; also directed), What Women Want (2000), The Passion of the Christ (2004; director only), and Apocalypto (2006; director and co-writer)

British Dictionary definitions for bob (11 of 11)

Marley

/ (ˈmɑːlɪ) /

noun

Bob, full name Robert Nesta Marley. 1945–81, Jamaican reggae singer, guitarist, and songwriter. With his group, the Wailers, his albums included Burnin' (1973), Natty Dread (1975), Rastaman Vibration (1976), and Exodus (1977)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

bob

noun

verb (used with object), bobbed, bob·bing.

verb (used without object), bobbed, bob·bing.

Verb Phrases

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of bob

Definition for bob (2 of 13)

bob

noun

verb (used with object), bobbed, bob·bing.

verb (used without object), bobbed, bob·bing.

Origin of bob

Definition for bob (3 of 13)

bob

noun

verb (used with object), bobbed, bob·bing.

Origin of bob

Definition for bob (4 of 13)

bob

noun, plural bob. British Informal.

Origin of bob

Definition for bob (5 of 13)

Bob

noun

Definition for bob (6 of 13)

Kiphuth

noun

Definition for bob (7 of 13)

Marley

noun

Definition for bob (8 of 13)

Mathias

noun

Definition for bob (9 of 13)

Beamon

noun

Definition for bob (10 of 13)

Cousy

noun

Definition for bob (11 of 13)

Feller

noun

Definition for bob (12 of 13)

Fosse

noun

Definition for bob (13 of 13)

Gibson

noun

Examples from the Web for bob

British Dictionary definitions for bob (1 of 11)

bob

verb bobs, bobbing or bobbed

noun

Word Origin for bob

British Dictionary definitions for bob (2 of 11)

bob

noun

verb bobs, bobbing or bobbed

Word Origin for bob

British Dictionary definitions for bob (3 of 11)

bob

verb bobs, bobbing or bobbed

noun

Word Origin for bob

British Dictionary definitions for bob (4 of 11)

bob

noun plural bob

Word Origin for bob

British Dictionary definitions for bob (5 of 11)

Bob

noun

Word Origin for Bob

British Dictionary definitions for bob (6 of 11)

feller

noun

British Dictionary definitions for bob (7 of 11)

feller