cob

¹

[ kob ]

noun

1. a corncob.
2. a male swan.
3. a short-legged, thick-set horse, often having a high gait and frequently used for driving.
4. British. a mixture of clay and straw, used as a building material.
5. British Dialect. a rounded mass or lump.
6. a crude silver or gold Spanish-American coin of the 16th to 18th centuries, characteristically irregular in shape and bearing only a partial impression of the dies from which it was struck.

COB

²

abbreviation for

, Business.

1. close of business:

   The data analysis will be on your desk by COB Wednesday.

cob

¹

/ kɒb /

noun

1. an archaic or dialect name for the greater black-backed gull ( Larus marinus ) See also gull 1

cob

²

/ kɒb /

noun

1. a male swan
2. a thickset short-legged type of riding and draught horse
3. short for corncob corncob pipe cobnut
4. another name for hazel
5. a small rounded lump or heap of coal, ore, etc
6. a building material consisting of a mixture of clay and chopped straw
7. Also calledcob loaf a round loaf of bread

verb

1. informal.
   tr to beat, esp on the buttocks

Word History and Origins

Origin of cob¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English cobbe “male swan, leader of a gang”; these and various subsequent senses are obscurely related and probably in part of distinct origin

Word History and Origins

Origin of cob¹

C16: of Germanic origin; related to Dutch kob, kobbe

Origin of cob²

C15: of uncertain origin; probably related to Icelandic kobbi seal; see cub

Example Sentences

Above, a large skylight is adorned with hundreds of suspended corn cobs, their illuminated forms offering one of the few sources of light in the dark and moody, monochromatic space.

From Salon

The town this week unveiled several artistic works, including three statues of athletes and other monuments such as a maize cob and a milk fountain.

From BBC

His Nando's order - plain chicken burger, straight chips, corn cob - comes bland and beige.

From BBC

Macon returned with a basket and avalanched pink shrimp, corn on the cob, and red potatoes across the paper-covered table.

From Literature

"Some of the horses were standing in water - our big cobs were up to their knees in it," she said.

From BBC

Related Words

• beat
• clinch
• complete
• cover
• crown
• eclipse
• exceed
• finish
• surpass
• wrap up