fob

See also: FOB, F.O.B., F. O. B., -fob, and -fób

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: fŏb, IPA^(key): /fɒb/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒb

Etymology 1

From German Low German Fobke (“pocket”) or German [Term?] (East Prussian dialect) Fuppe (“pocket”).

Noun

fob (plural fobs)

1. A little pocket near the waistline of a pair of trousers or in a waistcoat or vest to hold a pocketwatch; a watch pocket.
   • 1711, Jonathan Swift, Windsor Prophecy:

     With a saint at his chin and a seal at his fob.

2. A short chain or ribbon to connect such a pocket to the watch.
3. (see usage notes) A small ornament attached to such a chain.
4. A hand-held remote control device used to lock/unlock motor cars etc.

Derived terms

• fob watch

Usage notes

• The Jonathan Swift quote indicates that the word "fob" at that time period did not specifically apply to an object attached to the chain or watch.
• A "fob" attached directly to the watch serves as an ornament and or as a grip for more easily pulling the watch from the watch pocket.
• A fob attached to a drooping chain would be mainly an ornament.

Translations

little pocket near waistline — see watch pocket

chain or ribbon

• Bulgarian: ланец (bg) m (lanec)
• Danish: urkæde c, kæde c, bånd (da) n
• Finnish: kellonperät pl, kellonvitja
• French: châtelaine (fr) f
• German: Uhrkette f
• Greek: καδένα (el) f (kadéna)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: urkjede m

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Polish: łańcuszek (pl) n
• Portuguese: corrente (pt) f
• Russian: цепо́чка для карма́нных часо́в f (cepóčka dlja karmánnyx časóv)
• Spanish: leontina (es) f
• Swedish: klockkedja c

ornament

• German: Schlüsselanhänger (de) m
• Polish: brelok (pl) m
• Portuguese: berloque (pt) m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Romanian: breloc (ro) n
• Russian: брело́к (ru) m (brelók)
• Swedish: berlock (sv) c

remote control for locking and unlocking a vehicle

• Danish: fjernbetjening (da) c (til bil eller lignende)
• Finnish: kauko-ohjain
• German: Funkschlüssel m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: брело́к дистанцио́нного управле́ния m (brelók distanciónnovo upravlénija)
• Swedish: fjärrnyckel c, bilnyckel (sv) c

Etymology 2

German foppen (“to mock”).

Alternative forms

• fub

Verb

fob (third-person singular simple present fobs, present participle fobbing, simple past and past participle fobbed)

1. (transitive, archaic) To cheat, to deceive, to trick, to take in, to impose upon someone.
   • c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]:

     I think it is scurvy, and begin to find myself fobbed in it.

2. (transitive, archaic) To beat; to maul.

Derived terms

• to fob off

Translations

To cheat, to trick

• Bulgarian: измамвам (bg) (izmamvam), пробутвам (bg) (probutvam)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Danish: prakke
• Spanish: engatusar (es)

References

• 1897 Universal Dictionary of the English Language, Robert Hunter and Charles Morris, eds., v 2 p 2146.

Etymology 3

Abbreviation.

Adjective

fob (not comparable)

1. (Incoterm) Template:alternative letter-case form of

Anagrams

• BOF, F. B. O., F.B.O., F/B/O, FBO