Trends ofbob
View usage for:
bob
(bɒb)
Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense bobs, present participle bobbing, past tense, past participle bobbedlanguage note: The plural form for meaning [sense 4] is bob.
1. verb
If something bobs, it moves up and down, like something does when it is floating on water.
Huge balloons bobbed about in the sky above. [VERB preposition/adverb]
The raft bobbed along more quietly. [VERB preposition/adverb]
Synonyms: bounce, duck, leap, hop More Synonyms of bob
2. verb
If you bob somewhere, you move there quickly so that you disappear from view or come into view.
She handed over a form, then bobbed down again behind a typewriter. [VERB adverb/preposition]
Synonyms: duck, drop, lower yourself, bend More Synonyms of bob
3. verb
When you bob your head, you move it quickly up and down once, for example when you greet someone.
She caught my eye and bobbed her head. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: nod, lower, bend, bow More Synonyms of bob
Bob is also a noun.
The young man smiled with a bob of his head.
4. countable noun
In Britain, people used to refer to a shilling as a bob.
[informal] I've only got ten bob on me.
5. countable noun
A bob is a fairly short hair style in which the hair is the same length all the way round, except for the front.
6.
See bits and bobs
More Synonyms of bob
bob in British English 1
(bɒb)
verbWord forms: bobs, bobbing or bobbed
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. (intransitive; usually foll by up)
to appear or emerge suddenly
5. (intr; foll by under, below, etc)
to disappear suddenly, as beneath a surface
6. (intransitive; usually foll by for)
to attempt to get hold (of a floating or hanging object, esp an apple) in the teeth as a game
noun
7.
a short abrupt movement, as of the head
8.
a quick curtsy or bow
9. bell-ringing
a particular set of changes
10. angling
a. short for bobfloat
b.
the topmost fly on a cast of three, often fished bobbing at the surface
c.
this position on a wet-fly cast
Word origin
C14: of uncertain originbob in British English 2
(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. British dialect
a hanging cluster, as of flowers or ribbons
verbWord forms: bobs, bobbing or bobbed
11. (transitive)
to cut (the hair) in a bob
12. (transitive)
to cut short (something, esp the tail of an animal); dock or crop
13. (intransitive)
to ride on a bobsled
Word origin
C14 bobbe bunch of flowers, perhaps of Celtic originbob in British English 3
(bɒb)
verbWord forms: bobs, bobbing or bobbed
1.
to tap or cause to tap or knock lightly (against)
noun
2.
a light knock; tap
Word origin
C13 bobben to rap, beat; see bop2bob in British English 4
(bɒb)
nounWord forms: plural bob
British (formerly) an informal word for a shilling (sense 1)
Word origin
C19: of unknown originBob in British English
(bɒb)
noun
Bob's your uncle
Word origin
C19: perhaps from pet form of RobertBob in American English
(bɑb)
noun
Informal
Robert1: dim. Bobby
bob in American English 1
(bɑb)
noun
1. British, Dialectal
a hanging cluster
2.
any knoblike hanging weight or pendant
a plumb bob
3.
a short curl or knob of hair
4.
a docked tail, as of a horse
5.
a short hairstyle for a woman or child, with the hair of relatively even length all around
6.
a quick, jerky motion, like that of a cork on water
7.
a.
a float on a fishing line
b.
clustered bait used on a fishing line
8.
a type of Scottish dance
9.
a quick curtsy
10. US
a bobsled or bob skate
11. Archaic
a tap or light blow
12. Archaic
a short refrain in a song
verb transitiveWord forms: bobbed or ˈbobbing
13.
to knock against lightly; rap
14.
to move, esp. up and down, with short, jerky motions
15.
to cut (hair, a tail, etc.) short; dock
verb intransitive
16.
to move or act in a bobbing manner; move suddenly or jerkily
17.
to curtsy quickly
18.
to fish with a bob
19.
to try to catch suspended or floating fruit with the teeth
with forIdioms:
bob up
Word origin
ME bobbe, hanging clusterbob in American English 2
(bɑb)
nounWord forms: plural bob
British, Slang
a shilling
Word origin
< ? Bob, nickname for Robert1Image ofbob
© Subbotina Anna, shutterstock
Examples of 'bob' in a sentencebob
Word lists withbob
hairstyleIn other languagesbob
British English: bob VERB
If something bobs, it moves up and down, like something does when it is floating on water.
Huge balloons bobbed about in the sky above.
- American English: bob
- Brazilian Portuguese: balouçar-se
- Chinese: 上下浮动
- European Spanish: menearse
- French: se balancer
- German: sich auf und ab bewegen
- Italian: andare su e giù
- Japanese: 上下に動く
- Korean: 둥둥 떠다니다
- European Portuguese: balouçar-se
- Latin American Spanish: menearse
Chinese translation of 'bob'
bob
(bɔb)
vi
- [boat, cork] (also bob up and down)
上下浮动(動)
(shàngxià fúdòng)
1 (verb)
Definition
to move or cause to move up and down repeatedly, such as while floating in water
Balloons bobbed about in the sky.
Synonyms
bounce
Moira bounced into the office.
duck
leap
The newsreels show him leaping into the air.
hop
I hopped down three steps.
weave
skip
She was skipping along the pavement.
jerk
wobble
quiver
oscillate
waggle
He was waggling his toes in his socks.
2 (verb)
She handed over a form, then bobbed down again behind a computer screen.
Synonyms
duck
He ducked in time to save his head from the blow.
drop
lower yourself
bend
bow Bend the bar into a horseshoe.
dodge
We dodged behind a pillar.
crouch
A man was crouching behind the bushes.
stoop
He stooped to pick up the carrier bag of groceries.
3 (verb)
Definition
to move or cause to move with a short abrupt movement, esp. of the head
She bobbed her head at each passenger.
Synonyms
nod
She nodded her head in understanding.
lower
bend
Congress has to bend to his will.
bow
He bowed slightly before taking her bag.
dip
The sun dipped below the horizon.
(noun)
Definition
a short abrupt movement, as of the head
The young man smiled with a bob of his head.
Synonyms
nod
Then, at a nod from their leader, they all sat.
sign
His face and movements rarely betrayed any sign of nerves.
signal
The event was seen as a signal of support.
greeting
His greeting was familiar and friendly.
gesture
She made a menacing gesture with her fist.
indication
He gave no indication that he was ready to compromise.
salute
He raised his hand in salute.
phrasal verb
Additional synonyms
in the sense of bend
Definition
to form a curve
Bend the bar into a horseshoe.
Synonyms
twist,
turn,
wind,
lean,
hook,
bow,
curve,
arch,
incline,
arc,
deflect,
warp,
buckle,
coil,
flex,
stoop,
veer,
swerve,
diverge,
contort,
inflect,
incurvate
in the sense of bend
Definition
to submit
Congress has to bend to his will.
Synonyms
submit,
yield,
bow,
surrender,
give in,
give way,
cede,
capitulate,
resign yourself
in the sense of bow
Definition
to lower (one's head) or bend (one's knee or body) as a sign of respect, greeting, agreement, or shame
He bowed slightly before taking her bag.
Synonyms
bend,
bob,
nod,
incline,
stoop,
droop,
genuflect,
make obeisance
Synonyms of 'bob'
bob
Explore 'bob' in the dictionary