fob
2[ fob ]
/ fɒb /
verb (used with object), fobbed, fob·bing.
Archaic. to cheat; deceive.
Verb Phrases
fob off,
- to cheat someone by substituting something spurious or inferior; palm off (often followed by on): He tried to fob off an inferior brand on us.
- to put (someone) off by deception or trickery: She fobbed us off with false promises.
Nearby words
foamed metal, foamed plastic, foamflower, foamy, foamy virus, fob, fob off, fobs, foc, focaccia, focal
Origin of fob
2Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for fob off (1 of 4)
fob off
verb (tr, adverb)
to appease or trick (a person) with lies or excuses
to dispose of (goods) by trickery
British Dictionary definitions for fob off (2 of 4)
fob
1/ (fɒb) /
noun
a chain or ribbon by which a pocket watch is attached to a waistcoat
any ornament hung on such a chain
a small pocket in a man's waistcoat, for holding a watch
a metal or plastic tab on a key ring
Word Origin for fob
C17: probably of Germanic origin; compare German dialect Fuppe pocket
British Dictionary definitions for fob off (3 of 4)
Word Origin for fob
C15: probably from German foppen to trick
British Dictionary definitions for fob off (4 of 4)
fob
3/ (fɒb) /
noun
NZ slang a Pacific Islander who has newly arrived in New Zealand
Word Origin for fob
C20: from f (resh) o (ff) (the) b (oat)
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
Idioms and Phrases with fob off
fob off
Sell or dispose of goods by fraud or deception, as in They tried to fob off the zircon as a diamond. [c. 1600]
Put off or appease by deceitful means, as in We needed her help but were fobbed off by promises. [c. 1600]
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.