bob

1
[ bob ]
See synonyms for bob on Thesaurus.com
noun

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

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

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

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

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

  1. to make a jerky motion with the head or body.

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

Verb Phrases

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

Origin of bob

1
First recorded in 1400–50, bob is from the late Middle English word bobben.See bob2

Other definitions for bob (2 of 5)

bob2
[ bob ]
noun

  1. a style of short haircut for women and children.

  2. a docked horse's tail.

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

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

  3. Angling.

    • a knot of worms, rags, etc., on a string.

    • a float for a fishing line.

  4. a bobsled or bob skate.

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

  6. Obsolete. walking beam.

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

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

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

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

  2. Angling. to fish with a bob.

Origin of bob

2
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English bobbe (noun) “spray, cluster, bunch (of leaves, flowers, fruit, etc.)”; of uncertain origin

Other definitions for bob (3 of 5)

bob3
[ bob ]
noun

  1. a tap; light blow.

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

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

  1. to tap; strike lightly.

Origin of bob

3
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English bobben “to strike, beat,” perhaps imitative; see bop2

Other definitions for bob (4 of 5)

bob4
[ bob ]
noun,plural bob.British Informal.

  1. a shilling.

Origin of bob

4
First recorded in 1780–90; origin unknown; perhaps from Bob

Other definitions for Bob (5 of 5)

Bob
[ bob ]
noun

  1. a male given name, form of Robert.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bob in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bob (1 of 5)

bob1

/ (bɒb) /

verbbobs, bobbing or bobbed

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

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

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

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

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

  4. (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

  1. a short abrupt movement, as of the head

  2. a quick curtsy or bow

  1. bell-ringing a particular set of changes

  2. 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

Origin of bob

1
C14: of uncertain origin

British Dictionary definitions for bob (2 of 5)

bob2

/ (bɒb) /

noun

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

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

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

  2. short for bob skate, bobsleigh

  3. a runner or pair of runners on a bobsled

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

  5. 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

  6. a refrain or burden with such a short line or lines

  7. a docked tail, esp of a horse

  8. British dialect a hanging cluster, as of flowers or ribbons

verbbobs, bobbing or bobbed

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

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

  1. (intr) to ride on a bobsled

Origin of bob

2
C14 bobbe bunch of flowers, perhaps of Celtic origin

British Dictionary definitions for bob (3 of 5)

bob3

/ (bɒb) /

verbbobs, bobbing or bobbed

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

noun

  1. a light knock; tap

Origin of bob

3
C13 bobben to rap, beat; see bop ²

British Dictionary definitions for bob (4 of 5)

bob4

/ (bɒb) /

nounplural bob

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

Origin of bob

4
C19: of unknown origin

British Dictionary definitions for Bob (5 of 5)

Bob

/ (bɒb) /

noun

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

Origin of Bob

5
C19: perhaps from pet form of Robert

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

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