bobbin

[ bob-in ]

noun

1. a reel, cylinder, or spool upon which yarn or thread is wound, as used in spinning, machine sewing, lacemaking, etc.
2. Electricity.
   1. a spoollike form around which a coil of insulated wire is wound to provide an inductance.
   2. the coil itself.

bobbin

/ ˈbɒbɪn /

noun

1. a spool or reel on which thread or yarn is wound, being unwound as required; spool; reel
2. narrow braid or cord used as binding or for trimming
3. a device consisting of a short bar and a length of string, used to control a wooden door latch
4. 1. a spool on which insulated wire is wound to form the coil of a small electromagnetic device, such as a bell or buzzer
   2. the coil of such a spool
5. slang.
   plural matter that is worthless or of inferior quality; rubbish

Word History and Origins

Origin of bobbin¹

1520–30; < Middle French bobine hank of thread, perhaps bob- an expressive base akin to bob ² + -ine -ine ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of bobbin¹

C16: from Old French bobine , of unknown origin

Example Sentences

JanomeFeatures in the mechanical model of the Janome 2212 include a front-loading bobbin and free arm, manual tension control, stitch-length adjustment, and automatic bobbin winding.

From Popular-Science

Howard Cosell once said to me, “Bobbin, you have a face for radio and a voice for print.”

From The Daily Beast

The first bonnet she made was of seven straws with bobbin let in like open-work, and lined with pink satin.

From Project Gutenberg

Fig. 369 shows a bobbin elaborately decorated, from a mound near Maysville, Ky.

From Project Gutenberg

Its office is to constitute a drag upon the yarn, by means of which the latter is wound upon a bobbin.

From Project Gutenberg

Bobbin lace, seen mostly in cheap insertions and in the form of narrow edgings.

From Project Gutenberg

Each rove bobbin is free to rotate on its own peg as the rove from it is drawn downwards by the retaining rollers.

From Project Gutenberg