bob

¹

[ bob ]

noun

1. a short, jerky motion:

   a bob of the head.

verb (used with object)

, bobbed, bob·bing.

1. to move quickly down and up:

   to bob the head.

2. to indicate with such a motion:

   to bob a greeting.

verb (used without object)

, bobbed, bob·bing.

1. to make a jerky motion with the head or body.
2. to move about with jerky, usually rising and falling motions:

   The ball bobbed upon the waves.

verb phrase

1. to emerge or appear, especially unexpectedly:

   A familiar face bobbed up in the crowd.

bob

²

[ bob ]

noun

1. a style of short haircut for women and children.
2. a docked horse's tail.
3. a dangling or terminal object, as the weight on a pendulum or a plumb line.
4. a short, simple line in a verse or song, especially a short refrain or coda.
5. Angling.
   1. a knot of worms, rags, etc., on a string.
   2. a float for a fishing line.
6. a bobsled or bob skate.
7. Scot. a bunch, cluster, or wad, especially a small bouquet of flowers.
8. Obsolete. walking beam.

verb (used with object)

, bobbed, bob·bing.

1. to cut short; dock:

   They bobbed their hair to be in style.

verb (used without object)

, bobbed, bob·bing.

1. to try to snatch floating or dangling objects with the teeth:

   to bob for apples.

2. Angling. to fish with a bob.

bob

³

[ bob ]

noun

1. a tap; light blow.
2. a polishing wheel of leather, felt, or the like.

verb (used with object)

, bobbed, bob·bing.

1. to tap; strike lightly.

bob

⁴

[ bob ]

noun

, British Informal.

, plural bob.

1. a shilling.

Bob

⁵

[ bob ]

noun

1. a first name, form of Robert.

bob

¹

/ bɒb /

verb

1. to tap or cause to tap or knock lightly (against)

noun

1. a light knock; tap

bob

²

/ bɒb /

noun

1. (formerly) an informal word for a shilling

bob

³

/ bɒb /

verb

1. to move or cause to move up and down repeatedly, as while floating in water
2. to move or cause to move with a short abrupt movement, as of the head
3. to make (a bow or curtsy)

   the little girl bobbed before the visitor

4. intrusually foll byup to appear or emerge suddenly
5. intr; foll by under, below, etc to disappear suddenly, as beneath a surface
6. intrusually foll byfor to attempt to get hold (of a floating or hanging object, esp an apple) in the teeth as a game

noun

1. a short abrupt movement, as of the head
2. a quick curtsy or bow
3. Leisure:Bell-ringing a particular set of changes
4. angling
   1. short for bobfloat
   2. the topmost fly on a cast of three, often fished bobbing at the surface
   3. this position on a wet-fly cast

bob

⁴

/ bɒb /

noun

1. a hairstyle for women and children in which the hair is cut short evenly all round the head
2. a dangling or hanging object, such as the weight on a pendulum or on a plumb line
3. a polishing disc on a rotating spindle. It is usually made of felt, leather, etc, impregnated with an abrasive material
4. short for bob skate bobsleigh
5. a runner or pair of runners on a bobsled
6. angling a small knot of worms, maggots, etc, used as bait
7. a very short line of verse at the end of a stanza or preceding a rhyming quatrain (the wheel) at the end of a stanza
8. a refrain or burden with such a short line or lines
9. a docked tail, esp of a horse
10. dialect.
    a hanging cluster, as of flowers or ribbons

verb

1. tr to cut (the hair) in a bob
2. tr to cut short (something, esp the tail of an animal); dock or crop
3. intr to ride on a bobsled

Bob

⁵

/ bɒb /

noun

1. Bob's your uncle slang.
   everything is or will turn out all right

Word History and Origins

Origin of bob¹

First recorded in 1400–50, bob is from the late Middle English word bobben. See bob ²

Origin of bob²

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English bobbe (noun) “spray, cluster, bunch (of leaves, flowers, fruit, etc.)”; of uncertain origin

Origin of bob³

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English bobben “to strike, beat,” perhaps imitative; bop ²

Origin of bob⁴

First recorded in 1780–90; origin unknown; perhaps from Bob

Word History and Origins

Origin of bob¹

C13 bobben to rap, beat; see bop ²

Origin of bob²

C19: of unknown origin

Origin of bob³

C14: of uncertain origin

Origin of bob⁴

C14 bobbe bunch of flowers, perhaps of Celtic origin

Origin of bob⁵

C19: perhaps from pet form of Robert

Example Sentences

The former president swayed, stared, paced, bobbed and punched the air while South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who was meant to be moderating the Q&A session, tried to play along.

From Los Angeles Times

The living room was bobbing with armchairs, sneakers and pillows.

From Los Angeles Times

From the first downbeat to the last, audience members danced and bobbed their heads, bearing a resemblance to the nearby ocean.

From Los Angeles Times

I got petroleum, a card with the silhouette of a pumpjack, like those bobbing in the Inglewood Oil Field not far from our office.

From Los Angeles Times

The 72-year-old mother and grandmother, her hair styled into a neat bob, wears colourful dresses and Breton tops.

From BBC