bob

See also: Bob, BOB, bób, and böb

Translingual

Etymology

Clipping of English Boni with b as a placeholder.

Symbol

bob

1. (international standards) ISO 639-3 language code for Aweer.

See also

• Wiktionary’s coverage of Aweer terms

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: bŏb, IPA^(key): /bɒb/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒb
• (US) enPR: bäb, IPA^(key): /bɑb/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑːb

Etymology 1

From Middle English bobben (“to strike, beat, shake, jog”), of uncertain origin. Compare Scots bob (“to mark, dance with a bobbing motion”), Icelandic boppa (“to wave up and down”), Swedish bobba (“to bob”), Dutch dobberen ("bobbing").

Verb

bob (third-person singular simple present bobs, present participle bobbing, simple past and past participle bobbed)

1. (intransitive) To move gently and vertically, in either a single motion or repeatedly up and down, at or near the surface of a body of water, or similar medium.

   Synonym: surge

   The cork bobbed gently in the calm water.

   The ball, which we had thought lost, suddenly bobbed up out of the water.

   The flowers were bobbing in the wind.

2. (transitive) To move (something) as though it were bobbing in water.

   I bobbed my head underwater and saw the goldfish.

   bob one’s head (= to nod)

   1. (with on) To perform oral sex on someone.

      She bobbed on his knob.

3. To curtsy.
4. To strike with a quick, light blow; to tap.
   • 1531, Thomas Elyot, “In what wise musike may be to a noble man necessarie: and what modestie ought to be therin”, in Ernest Rhys, editor, The Boke Named the Governour […] (Everyman’s Library), London: J[oseph] M[alaby] Dent & Co; New York, N.Y.: E[dward] P[ayson] Dutton & Co, published [1907], →OCLC, 1st book, page 26:

     And if any man hapned, by longe sittynge, to slepe, or, by any other countenance, to shewe him selfe to be weary, he was sodaynly bobbed on the face by the seruantes of Nero, […]

   • c. 1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Famous Historie of Troylus and Cresseid. […] (First Quarto), London: […] G[eorge] Eld for R[ichard] Bonian and H[enry] Walley, […], published 1609, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], signature [C4], recto:

     Lo, lo, lo, lo, what modicums of wit he vtters, his euaſions haue eares thus long, I haue bobd his braine more then he has beate my bones.

5. (intransitive) Synonym of blob (“catch eels using worms strung on thread”).
   • 1876, George Christopher Davies, The Swan and Her Crew, page 134:

     After they had had supper Frank said, Do you remember those men whom we saw near Norwich, who sat in small boats all the night long, and with a line in each hand, bobbed for eels?

Derived terms

• abob
• apple bobbing
• bobber
• bobbish
• bobble
• bob-cherry
• bobchin
• bobfly
• bob-job
• bob under
• bob up
• emu bob

Translations

move vertically at surface of water

• Bulgarian: подскачам (bg) (podskačam), клатя се (klatja se)
• Czech: pohupovat se impf, houpat se impf, poskakovat impf
• Dutch: deinen (nl), dobberen (nl)
• Esperanto: balanciĝi
• French: ballotter (fr)
• Italian: ondeggiare (it), dondolare (it), traballare (it), spuntare fuori
• Māori: mārangaranga
• Russian: кача́ться (ru) impf (kačátʹsja), выны́ривать (ru) impf (vynýrivatʹ), вы́нырнуть (ru) pf (výnyrnutʹ)
• Swedish: guppa (sv)

move (something) as though it were bobbing in water

• Italian: sballottare
• Russian: подпры́гивать (ru) impf (podprýgivatʹ), подпры́гнуть (ru) pf (podprýgnutʹ), подска́кивать (ru) impf (podskákivatʹ), подскочи́ть (ru) pf (podskočítʹ)

Noun

bob (plural bobs)

1. A bobbing motion; a quick up and down movement.

   a bob of the head

2. A curtsy.
3. A bobber (buoyant fishing device).
   • 1613, John Dennys, The Secrets of Angling:

     Or yellow bobs turn’d up before the plough / Are chiefest baits, with cork and lead enough.

4. Any of various hesperiid butterflies.

Derived terms

• plumb bob

Translations

bobbing motion

• Bulgarian: подскачане (bg) n (podskačane)
• Italian: sballottio m
• Russian: подска́кивание (ru) n (podskákivanije), подпры́гивание (ru) n (podprýgivanije)

bobber — see float

curtsey — see curtsey

Etymology 2

From Middle English bobbe (“a cluster (of fruit); a twig with its leaves, a spray”), perhaps of Celtic origin (compare Irish baban "tassel, cluster," Gaelic babag).

Noun

bob (plural bobs)

1. A bob haircut.
2. Any round object attached loosely to a flexible line, a rod, a body part etc., so that it may swing when hanging from it.
   • 1773, Oliver Goldsmith, She Stoops to Conquer:

     Ecod! I have got them. Here they are. My cousin Con's necklaces, bobs and all.

3. The dangling mass of a pendulum or plumb line.
4. The docked tail of a horse.
5. The short runner of a sled.
6. A bobsleigh.
7. A small wheel, made of leather, with rounded edges, used in polishing spoons, etc.
8. A working beam in a steam engine.
9. A particular style of ringing changes on bells.
10. A blow; a shake or jog; a rap, as with the fist.
11. (obsolete) A knot or short curl of hair; also, a bob wig.
    • 1737, William Shenstone, The Extent of Cookery:

      A plain brown bob he wore.

12. (obsolete) The refrain of a song.
    • 1692, Roger L’Estrange, “[The Fables of Abstemius, &c.] Fab[le] CCLXXXIII. A Widow had a mind to Marry.”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: […], London: […] R[ichard] Sare, […], →OCLC, page 248:

      Ay, Ay, and Then to Bed, ſays the Bride. This Girl did but ſpeak the Widows Mind; for let Fleſh and Blood pretend what it will, to Bed, to Bed, will be the Bob of the Song.

13. A short line ending a stanza of a poem.

    Coordinate terms: wheel, bobwheel

14. (obsolete) A jeer; a sharp jest or taunt.
    • c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene vii], page 203, column 1, lines 53–55:

      Hee, that a Foole doth very wiſely hit,
      Doth very fooliſhly, although he ſmart,
      Seeme ſenſeleſſe of the bob.

Derived terms

• bingle
• bits and bobs
• bobcat
• bob jerom
• bobkitten
• bobrun
• bobweight
• bob wig
• Castle bob
• dry bob
• Dutch bob
• earbob
• gay bob
• light bob
• monobob
• Pixie-bob
• staggering bob
• starry bob
• wet bob

Translations

a bob haircut

• Bulgarian: конска опашка
• Finnish: polkkatukka (fi)
• German: Bubikopf (de) m
• Russian: карэ́ n (karɛ́)

the dangling mass of a pendulum or plumb line

• Bulgarian: топка (на махало), тежест (на отвес), опашка (на хвърчило), висулка, поплавък
• French: poids (fr) m, plomb (fr) m
• Russian: отве́с (ru) m (otvés)

the docked tail of a horse

• Bulgarian: подрязана опашка f (podrjazana opaška)
• Russian: купи́рованный хвост m (kupírovannyj xvost)

a short line ending a stanza

• Bulgarian: припев (bg) m (pripev)
• Russian: припе́в (ru) m (pripév), рефре́н (ru) m (refrén)

the short runner of a sled

• Russian: по́лоз (ru) m (póloz)

Verb

bob (third-person singular simple present bobs, present participle bobbing, simple past and past participle bobbed)

1. (transitive) To cut (hair) into a bob haircut.

   I got my hair bobbed. How do you like it?

2. (transitive) To shorten by cutting; to dock; to crop.
3. To bobsleigh.

Translations

cut into a bob haircut

• Bulgarian: подстригвам късо (podstrigvam kǎso)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 剪波波头 (jiǎn bōbōtóu)

Etymology 3

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

bob (plural bob or (rare) bobs)

1. (Kenya, slang; UK, Australia and New Zealand, historical, dated) A shilling.
   • 1922 February, James Joyce, “[Episode 12: Cyclops]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company, […], →OCLC, part II [Odyssey], page 308:

     One of the bottlenosed fraternity it was went by the name of James Wought alias Saphiro alias Spark and Spiro, put an ad in the papers saying he'd give a passage to Canada for twenty bob.

   • 1933 January 9, George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], chapter XXIX, in Down and Out in Paris and London, London: Victor Gollancz […], →OCLC, pages 214–215:

     “’Ere y’are, the best rig-out you ever ’ad. A tosheroon [half a crown]^[sic] for the coat, two ’ogs for the trousers, one and a tanner for the boots, and a ’og for the cap and scarf. That’s seven bob.”

   • 1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter XVII, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins, →OCLC:

     […] there was a sound of barking and a great hefty dog of the Hound of the Baskervilles type came galloping at me, obviously intent on mayhem, […]. And I was just commending my soul to God and thinking that this was where my new flannel trousers got about thirty bobs' worth of value bitten out of them, […]

2. (Australia, dated slang) A 10-cent coin, ten cents.
3. (slang) An unspecified amount of money.

   Spot me a few bob, Robert.

   I could have saved myself a few bob buying it somewhere else.

   • 1949 March 23, “Capital Planning For Cherry Blossom Festival On April 3”, in Warren Times-Mirror, volume forty-nine, Warren, Pa., page twelve, column 1:

     A great many visitors are expected. They will take pictures of each other under the cherry blossoms and—the Chamber of Commerce hopes—spend a few bobs for hot logs, gasoline, eastern finery and souvenirs of the nation’s capital.

   • 1964, Len Deighton, “Tuesday, November 5th”, in Funeral in Berlin, New York, N.Y.: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, published 1965, →LCCN, page 294:

     It was a Molotov cocktail to dispose of my mortal remains. / “Cor, what a beauty.” / “Hello, somebody’s thrown a match into a box of fireworks; easy to do.” / “A few bobs’ worth of whizzers gone up there, Mabel.”

Usage notes

• The use of bob for shilling is dated slang in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, since decimalisation. In East African countries where the currency is the shilling, it is current usage, and not considered slang. OED gives first usage as 1789.
• The use of bob to describe a 10-cent coin is derived from the fact that it was of equal worth to a shilling during decimalisation; however, the term has slowly dropped out of usage since then and is seldom used today.

Derived terms

• a bob each way
• bent as a nine-bob note
• bent as a two bob
• bob-a-job
• queer as a nine bob note
• six bob a day tourist
• two bob
• two-bob bit
• two bob each way

Etymology 4

Noun

bob (plural bobs)

1. Clipping of shishkabob.

Etymology 5

Blend of blitter object.

Noun

bob (plural bobs)

1. (computer graphics, demoscene) A graphical element, resembling a hardware sprite, that can be blitted around the screen in large numbers.
   • 1986, Eugene P Mortimore, Amiga programmer's handbook, Volumes 1-2:

     The bob list determines the drawing priority […]

   • 1995, John Girvin, “Blitting bobs”, in comp.sys.amiga.programmer (Usenet):

     IMHO, youd ^[sic] be better doing other things with the CPU and letting the blitter draw bobs, esp on a machine with fast ram.

   • 2002, demoeffects, “Demotized 0.0.1 - A collection of demo effects from the early days of the demo scene.”, in fm.announce (Usenet):

     Changes: This release adds 2 new effects (bobs and unlimited bobs), has a GFX directory for sharing graphics, adds utility functions to the common code

Derived terms

• shadebob

See also

• bobbery-bob
• bob wire
• slack bob
• yellow bob

Anagrams

• obb

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɔp/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: bob
• Rhymes: -ɔp
• Homophone: Bob

Etymology 1

Noun

bob m (plural bobs, diminutive bobje n)

1. alternative form of Bob (“designated driver”)

Etymology 2

Borrowed from English bob.

Noun

bob f or m (plural bobs, no diminutive)

1. (winter sports) bob, bobsleigh

   Synonym: bobslee

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɔb/

• Audio (Switzerland (Valais)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Saint-Étienne)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

Etymology 1

From the English personal name Bob, used to designate light infantrymen, and probably introduced into French during the First World War.

Noun

bob m (plural bobs)

1. bucket hat, fishing hat

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

bob m (plural bobs)

1. (Belgium) designated driver, DD

Further reading

• “bob”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Hungarian

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈbob]
• Hyphenation: bob
• Rhymes: -ob

Noun

bob (plural bobok)

1. bobsleigh
2. a type of sled (a flat-bottomed concave plastic sled with no runners, equipped with brakes)
3. a car used on the track of an alpine slide or bobsled rollercoaster (mountain coaster)

Declension

Inflection (stem in -o-, back harmony)

	singular	plural
nominative	bob	bobok
accusative	bobot	bobokat
dative	bobnak	boboknak
instrumental	bobbal	bobokkal
causal-final	bobért	bobokért
translative	bobbá	bobokká
terminative	bobig	bobokig
essive-formal	bobként	bobokként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	bobban	bobokban
superessive	bobon	bobokon
adessive	bobnál	boboknál
illative	bobba	bobokba
sublative	bobra	bobokra
allative	bobhoz	bobokhoz
elative	bobból	bobokból
delative	bobról	bobokról
ablative	bobtól	boboktól
non-attributive possessive – singular	bobé	boboké
non-attributive possessive – plural	bobéi	bobokéi

Possessive forms of bob

possessor	single possession	multiple possessions
1st person sing.	bobom	bobjaim
2nd person sing.	bobod	bobjaid
3rd person sing.	bobja	bobjai
1st person plural	bobunk	bobjaink
2nd person plural	bobotok	bobjaitok
3rd person plural	bobjuk	bobjaik

Synonyms

• szánkó

Derived terms

• bobos

Compound words

• bobpálya

Further reading

• bob in Nóra Ittzés, editor, A magyar nyelv nagyszótára [A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (Nszt.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 2006–2031 (work in progress; published a–ez as of 2024).

Irish

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

bob m (genitive singular bob, nominative plural bobanna)

1. (hair) bob
   1. fringe (of hair over forehead)
   2. bob(tail)

      Synonym: bob eireabaill

Derived terms

• bob leicinn (“hair parted to one side”)
• bob scoilte (“parting”) (in hair)

Noun

bob m (genitive singular bob, nominative plural bobanna)

1. stump, target (in games)

Declension

Declension of bob (fourth declension)

bare forms singular plural nominative bob bobanna vocative a bhob a bhobanna genitive bob bobanna dative bob bobanna forms with the definite article singular plural nominative an bob na bobanna genitive an bhob na mbobanna dative leis an mbob don bhob leis na bobanna

Derived terms

• bob a bhualadh ar dhuine (“to play a trick on someone”)

Mutation

Mutated forms of bob

radical	lenition	eclipsis
bob	bhob	mbob

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Modern Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

References

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “bob”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959), “bob”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “bob”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013–2026

Italian

Alternative forms

• bobbe

Etymology

Pseudo-anglicism, a clipping of English bobsled.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɔb/
• Rhymes: -ɔb
• Hyphenation: bòb

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

bob m (invariable)

1. bobsleigh / bobsled

   Synonym: (rare) guidoslitta

Related terms

• bobbista

Lower Sorbian

bob

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *bobъ, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰabʰ-. Cognate with Upper Sorbian bob, Polish bób, Czech bob, Russian боб (bob), Serbo-Croatian bȍb.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɔp/

Noun

bob m inan

1. (uncountable) bean plant
2. beanfield

Declension

Declension of bob

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	bob	boba	boby
Genitive	boba	bobowu	bobow
Dative	boboju	boboma	bobam
Accusative	bob	boba	boby
Instrumental	bobom	boboma	bobami
Locative	bobje	boboma	bobach

Derived terms

• bobowka f (“an individual bean seed”)

See also

• tšuka f (“bean pod”)

Further reading

• Muka, Arnošt (1921, 1928), “bob”, in Słownik dolnoserbskeje rěcy a jeje narěcow (in German), St. Petersburg, Prague: ОРЯС РАН, ČAVU; Reprinted Bautzen: Domowina-Verlag, 2008
• Starosta, Manfred (1999), “bob”, in Dolnoserbsko-nimski słownik / Niedersorbisch-deutsches Wörterbuch (in German), Bautzen: Domowina-Verlag

Portuguese

Alternative forms

• bobe
• bóbi

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈbɔ.bi/

Noun

bob m (plural bobes)

1. curler (small cylindrical tube)
2. hair roller, hair curler

Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbob/

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Serbo-Croatian bȍb.

Noun

bob n (plural boabe)

1. a type of bean, field bean, horse bean, broad bean
2. a grain
3. any seed, pit, stone, berry

Declension

	singular			plural
	indefinite	definite		indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	bob	bobul		boabe	boabele
genitive-dative	bob	bobului		boabe	boabelor
vocative	bobule			boabelor

Related terms

• boabă

See also

• sămânță
• grăunte

Etymology 2

Borrowed from English bobsleigh.

Noun

bob n (plural boburi)

1. bobsleigh

Declension

	singular			plural
	indefinite	definite		indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	bob	bobul		boburi	boburile
genitive-dative	bob	bobului		boburi	boburilor
vocative	bobule			boburilor

See also

• sanie

Scots

Etymology 1

From Middle English bobbe (“cluster of fruit; spray of leaves”).

Noun

bob (plural bobs)

1. a bunch, a cluster (of things)
2. (obsolete) a nosegay, bunch of flowers
3. a knot; a bunch of ribbon
4. a patch of rich grass

Verb

bob (third-person singular simple present bobs, present participle bobbin, simple past and past participle bobbit)

1. (of grass) to grow richly in patches

Etymology 2

Uncertain. Possibly onomatopoeic expressing quick movement, but compare English bob, above.

Noun

bob (plural bobs)

1. a dance

Verb

bob (third-person singular simple present bobs, present participle bobbin, simple past and past participle bobbit)

1. to dance with up-and-down movement

   Synonym: bab

Etymology 3

Unknown. Possibly from Middle English bobben (“to strike”), from Old French bober, baubir (“to mock, deride”).

Noun

bob (plural bobs)

1. a target, a mark to aim at
2. a taunt

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *bobъ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bôb/

Noun

bȍb m inan (Cyrillic spelling бо̏б)

1. broad bean
2. horse bean

Declension

Declension of bob

	singular	plural
nominative	bob	bobovi
genitive	boba	bobova
dative	bobu	bobovima
accusative	bob	bobove
vocative	bobe	bobovi
locative	bobu	bobovima
instrumental	bobom	bobovima

Etymology 2

Borrowed from English bob.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bôb/

Noun

bȍb m inan (Cyrillic spelling бо̏б)

1. bobsled

Declension

Declension of bob

	singular	plural
nominative	bȍb	bòbovi
genitive	boba	bobova
dative	bobu	bobovima
accusative	bob	bobove
vocative	bobe	bobovi
locative	bobu	bobovima
instrumental	bobom	bobovima

Sicilian

Noun

bob m

1. bobsleigh / bobsled

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbob/ [ˈboβ̞]
• Rhymes: -ob
• Syllabification: bob

Noun

bob m (plural bobs)

1. bob, bob haircut (hairstyle)

Welsh

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /boːb/

Adjective

bob

1. soft mutation of pob

Mutation

Mutated forms of pob

radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
pob	bob	mhob	phob

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.