dobby
[ dob-ee ]
/ ˈdɒb i /
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noun, plural dob·bies.
British Dialect. a fatuous person; fool.
Textiles.
- an attachment on a loom, used in weaving small patterns.
- Also called dobby weave . a small geometric or floral pattern produced by this attachment.
- a fabric having such a pattern.
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Origin of dobby
1685–95; akin to dial. dovie stupid, imbecile, derivative of dove to doze, dote, Old English dofian, dobian; cognate with German toben to rage; compare Old English dobende decrepit
Words nearby dobby
DOB, dobber, dobber-in, dobbin, Dobbs Ferry, dobby, dobby loom, Dobbyn, dobe, Dobell, Dobell's solution
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for dobby
British Dictionary definitions for dobby
dobby
/ (ˈdɒbɪ) /
noun plural -bies
an attachment to a loom, used in weaving small figures
Word Origin for dobby
C17: perhaps from Dobby, pet form of Robert
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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