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• dobson
  dobson

  noun

  dobsonfly.
• Dobson
  Dobson

  noun

  (Henry) Austin, 1840–1921, English poet, biographer, and essayist.

dobson

¹ American  

[dob-suhn] / ˈdɒb sən /

noun

1. dobsonfly.

2. hellgrammite.

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Dobson ² American  

[dob-suhn] / ˈdɒb sən /

noun

1. (Henry) Austin, 1840–1921, English poet, biographer, and essayist.

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Etymology

Origin of dobson

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; by shortening

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dobson Dobson

But you will not expect to find it as large as a dobson.

From The Insect Folk by Morley, Margaret Warner

Let us put the dobson back into the brook.

From The Insect Folk by Morley, Margaret Warner

The dobson has a head, but no thorax.

From The Insect Folk by Morley, Margaret Warner

It is like the larvæ of the dobson, the aphis lion, and the ant lion in that respect.

From The Insect Folk by Morley, Margaret Warner

Perhaps you will be the first one to find a dobson after all.

From The Insect Folk by Morley, Margaret Warner

In 1950, Harmon Dobson founded a burger chain that started with a stand in Corpus Christi, Texas.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

Windsor, from Ipswich, also partnered Patsy Kensit and Anita Dobson in the main show, and Sara Cox and Alison Hammond in Christmas specials.

From BBC ● Feb. 11, 2026

Weather balloon observations showed that in 2025, the ozone layer directly over the South Pole dropped to a minimum of 147 Dobson Units on October 6.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 4, 2025

Also at the investiture was former EastEnders star Anita Dobson, best known for playing Queen Vic landlady Angie Watts on the BBC soap, who was made an OBE for services to charitable fundraising and philanthropy.

From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2025

“Boys and girls, I regret to inform you that one of our students has passed on. We will hold a memorial service for Michael Dobson during assembly this Friday.”

From "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky