bob Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a former monetary unit in Great Britain
    British shilling; shilling.
  2. noun a hair style for women and children; a short haircut all around
  3. noun a long racing sled (for 2 or more people) with a steering mechanism
    bobsled; bobsleigh.
  4. noun a hanging weight, especially a metal ball on a string
  5. noun a small float usually made of cork; attached to a fishing line
    bobfloat; bobber; cork.
  6. noun a short or shortened tail of certain animals
    dock; bobtail.
  7. noun a short abrupt inclination (as of the head)
    • he gave me a short bob of acknowledgement
  8. verb move up and down repeatedly
    • her rucksack bobbed gently on her back
  9. verb ride a bobsled
    bobsled.
    • The boys bobbed down the hill screaming with pleasure
  10. verb remove or shorten the tail of an animal
    dock; tail.
  11. verb make a curtsy; usually done only by girls and women; as a sign of respect
    curtsy.
    • She curtsied when she shook the Queen's hand
  12. verb cut hair in the style of a bob
    • Bernice bobs her hair these days!

WordNet

Bob noun
Etymology
An onomatopoetic word, expressing quick, jerky motion; OE. bob bunch, bobben to strike, mock, deceive. Cf. Prov. Eng. bob, n., a ball, an engine beam, bunch, blast, trick, taunt, scoff; as, a v., to dance, to courtesy, to disappoint, OF. bober to mock.
Definitions
  1. Anything that hangs so as to play loosely, or with a short abrupt motion, as at the end of a string; a pendant; as, the bob at the end of a kite's tail.
    In jewels dressed and at each ear a bob. Dryden.
  2. A knot of worms, or of rags, on a string, used in angling, as for eels; formerly, a worm suitable for bait.
    Or yellow bobs, turned up before the plow, Are chiefest baits, with cork and lead enow. Lauson.
  3. A small piece of cork or light wood attached to a fishing line to show when a fish is biting; a float.
  4. The ball or heavy part of a pendulum; also, the ball or weight at the end of a plumb line.
  5. A small wheel, made of leather, with rounded edges, used in polishing spoons, etc.
  6. A short, jerking motion; act of bobbing; as, a bob of the head.
  7. (Steam Engine) A working beam.
  8. A knot or short curl of hair; also, a bob wig.
    A plain brown bob he wore. Shenstone.
  9. A peculiar mode of ringing changes on bells.
  10. The refrain of a song.
    To bed, to bed, will be the bob of the song. L'Estrange.
  11. A blow; a shake or jog; a rap, as with the fist.
  12. A jeer or flout; a sharp jest or taunt; a trick.
    He that a fool doth very wisely hit, Doth very foolishly, although he smart, Not to seem senseless of the bob. Shak.
  13. A shilling. Slang, Eng. Dickens.
Bob transitive verb
Etymology
OE. bobben. See Bob, n.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Bobbed present participle & verbal noun Bobbing
Definitions
  1. To cause to move in a short, jerking manner; to move (a thing) with a bob. "He bobbed his head." W. Irving.
  2. To strike with a quick, light blow; to tap.
    If any man happened by long sitting to sleep . . . he was suddenly bobbed on the face by the servants. Elyot.
  3. To cheat; to gain by fraud or cheating; to filch.
    Gold and jewels that I bobbed from him. Shak.
  4. To mock or delude; to cheat.
    To play her pranks, and bob the fool, The shrewish wife began. Turbervile.
  5. To cut short; as, to bob the hair, or a horse's tail.
Bob intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To have a short, jerking motion; to play to and fro, or up and down; to play loosely against anything. "Bobbing and courtesying." Thackeray.
  2. To angle with a bob. See Bob, n., 2 & 3.
    He ne'er had learned the art to bob For anything but eels. Saxe.

Webster 1913