flash mob

American  

[flash-mob] / ˈflæʃˌmɒb /

Or flashmob

noun

1. a group of people mobilized by social media to meet in a public place for the purpose of doing an unusual or entertaining activity of short duration.

   The flash mob brought wide smiles to the faces of commuters waiting for their train.

2. a group of teenagers who have contacted each other by cell phone and social media and gather in an area to trash it or to mug and beat passersby.

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verb (used with object)

flash mobbed, flash mobbing

1. to crowd around (a place or person) in a flash mob.

   Dancing teenagers flash mobbed the store.

2. to commit violence against (a place or person) in a flash mob.

   The mayor imposed a curfew on all males under the age of 18 after two blocks of downtown Philadelphia were flash mobbed and severely damaged.

verb (used without object)

flash mobbed, flash mobbing

1. to organize or take part in a flash mob.

flash mob British  

noun

1. a group of people coordinated by email and social media to meet to perform some predetermined action at a particular place and time and then disperse quickly

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Other Word Forms

• flash mobber noun
• flash mobster noun
• flashmobbing noun

Etymology

Origin of flash mob

2000–05; flash in the sense of ‘quick'; on the model of smart mob

Example Sentences

If you lived through the early 2000s, the phrase “flash mob” might arouse a vague feeling of dread.

From New York Times

At the University of South Florida, he choreographed dances for his fraternity, and staged his first flash mob — this was at the tail end of the trend’s first wave — for 300 students.

From New York Times

Coconato had been considering organizing another flash mob, after his college success.

From New York Times

“And I had this moment of, ‘Oh, A flash mob named Bob,” he said.

From New York Times

Chris Berry, a member of local campaign group Save our Seafront, described the protest as "a peaceful parking flash mob".

From BBC