bobbin

[bob-in]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bobbin ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a reel, cylinder, or spool upon which yarn or thread is wound, as used in spinning, machine sewing, lacemaking, etc.

Electricity.

a spoollike form around which a coil of insulated wire is wound to provide an inductance.
the coil itself.

Origin of bobbin

1520–30; < Middle French bobine hank of thread, perhaps bob- an expressive base akin to bob² + -ine -ine²

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

Related Words for bobbin

cord, cylinder, pin, coil, spindle, braid, reel, ratchet, quill

Examples from the Web for bobbin

Contemporary Examples of bobbin

Howard Cosell once said to me, “Bobbin, you have a face for radio and a voice for print.”
The Only Sportscaster That Mattered: New Biography of Howard Cosell
Robert Lipsyte
November 20, 2011

Historical Examples of bobbin

The yarn from the ring frame, or mule, is wound in a large cop, or on a bobbin.
The Fabric of Civilization
Anonymous
Here for the first time is seen the combination of spindle, flyer and bobbin.
The Story of the Cotton Plant
Frederick Wilkinson
"Pull the bobbin and the latch will go up," said the old grandmother.
Favorite Fairy Tales
Logan Marshall
"I was twelve last month, Miss," says Helma, bobbin' polite.
Torchy, Private Sec.
Sewell Ford
Cut the bobbin or tape into four nine-inch lengths and wrap and mark.
The Mother and Her Child
William S. Sadler

British Dictionary definitions for bobbin

bobbin

noun

a spool or reel on which thread or yarn is wound, being unwound as required; spool; reel

narrow braid or cord used as binding or for trimming

a device consisting of a short bar and a length of string, used to control a wooden door latch

a spool on which insulated wire is wound to form the coil of a small electromagnetic device, such as a bell or buzzer
the coil of such a spool

(plural) British slang matter that is worthless or of inferior quality; rubbish

Word Origin for bobbin

C16: from Old French bobine, of unknown origin

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

Word Origin and History for bobbin

1520s, from French bobine, small instrument used in sewing or tapestry-making, perhaps from Latin balbus (see babble (v.)) for the stuttering, stammering noise it made.