fob
noun
a small pocket just below the waistline in pants, designed for a watch, keys, change, etc.
fob
1 American
[fob]
/ fɒb /
noun
-
fobs
plural
-
a small pocket just below the waistline in pants, designed for a watch, keys, change, etc.
-
especially formerly,
-
a short chain or ribbon, usually with a medallion or similar ornament, attached to a watch and worn hanging from a pocket.
-
the medallion or ornament itself.
-
-
The fob allows students 24/7 access into the residence building and their rooms.
I could never find my nail clipper in my purse, so now I’m using it as a fob on my keychain.
fob
2
American
[fob]
/ fɒb /
verb (used with object)
fobbed,
fobbing
verb phrase
f.o.b.
3
American
Or
F.O.B.
abbreviation
Commerce.
fob
1
British
/ 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
fob
2
British
/ fɒb /
verb
fob
3
British
/ fɒb /
noun
f.o.b.
4
British
abbreviation
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of fob1
First recorded in 1645–55; origin uncertain; compare dialectal German Fuppe, Low German Fobke “pocket”
Origin of fob2
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English fobben; perhaps cognate with German foppen “to delude, kid, tease” ( cf. fop) or, alternatively, akin to French fourbe “cheat, swindler” (from Old French forbir “to clean”; see furbish ( def. ))
Origin of f.o.b.3
First recorded in 1870–75
Explanation
A fob is a chain that holds an old-fashioned pocket watch. If your grandfather carries his watch around in a little pocket in his vest, it's probably attached with a fob. It's uncommon to see a watch fob these days, but they were once as ordinary as the watches they held. The little pockets sewn in men's clothing were also fobs, and today, a key chain is sometimes called a fob. When fob is a verb, it means to fool people or play a trick on them, especially by giving them something less valuable than they expect. This meaning is from the obsolete fobbe, "cheater."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It pops out when it needs to be used, either automatically through the user’s key fob or phone, or manually by pressing the handle.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 3, 2026
The doors typically don’t unlock when I approach the car until I pull out the key fob and hit the unlock button.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 20, 2025
The shock came days later when he took the car to a local Kia dealership to ask about a faulty button on the key fob designed to access the boot.
From BBC ● Dec. 7, 2025
The downside of this feature, Sutter said, is a signal is constantly being emitted from the key fob, similar to a debit card.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 26, 2025
Regardless, he opened it with the key fob and tossed the precious portfolio in the back seat.
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
The U.S. will buy the tin outright at $1.18 a pound, f.o.b.
From Time Magazine Archive
Compared with those for the new Model A Ford, they are, f.o.b.
From Time Magazine Archive
List price, lowest of the Hillman line: $1,445 f.o.b. port of entry.
From Time Magazine Archive
The industry was feeling no pain: with cementmakers now selling f.o.b. at their mills, the savings on freight absorption meant increased earnings.
From Time Magazine Archive
Oil - exports: NA Oil - imports: NA Exports: $214 million f.o.b.
From The 2005 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency
"They're in all modern cell phones, key fobs, garage door openers, most GPS receivers, many radar systems and more."
From Science Daily ● Jan. 17, 2026
Experts suggest keeping key fobs near the center of the home so the signal is harder to pick up.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 26, 2025
Hikers carry fobs and must scan in at four checkpoints 7 miles apart and depart by a certain time or quit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2025
Auto technology has evolved and many newer cars use wireless key fobs and push-button starters instead of traditional metal keys.
From Seattle Times ● May 16, 2024
It’s then that I remember the email that said we’d need our key fobs to access the pool if we wanted to swim before eight a.m. on weekdays.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
He said he felt "fobbed off" when he complained to the cruise director.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Zara Dedman, 38, from Kent, says being "fobbed off" by doctors has had a huge impact on her mental health.
From BBC ● May 20, 2026
But 59-year-old Franklin said she had been "fobbed off" by the company.
From BBC ● Apr. 16, 2026
He added the number of parties involved could be "depressing for a shared owner; that feeling of being passed from pillar to post and being fobbed off at different parts of the process".
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2025
And if you will consent to be fobbed off with a short-measure answer——" "That's right.
From Bertram Cope's Year by Henry Blake Fuller
They’re asking that HHS deal directly with their case instead of fobbing it off to the NIH, which would bring it under the purview of HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 2023
"This has been going on for 20 years, at least 20 years, and the council have been fobbing us off time and time again," said the 77-year-old.
From BBC ● Jan. 19, 2023
A major challenge will be keeping researchers from simply treating the requirement as another box to tick or fobbing the work off on minority scientists, Hodari says.
From Science Magazine ● Oct. 4, 2022
“You can’t play those parts by just looking at them and fobbing them off,” he said.
From The Guardian ● Dec. 13, 2019
At the time it seemed to me that he was bent on fobbing me off.
From The Courtship of Morrice Buckler A Romance by A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley) Mason
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