BOB (bobbed, bobbing)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected forms: bobbed    , bobbing   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does bob mean? 

• BOB (noun)
  The noun BOB has 7 senses:

1. a former monetary unit in Great Britain

2. a hair style for women and children; a short haircut all around

3. a long racing sled (for 2 or more people) with a steering mechanism

4. a hanging weight, especially a metal ball on a string

5. a small float usually made of cork; attached to a fishing line

6. a short or shortened tail of certain animals

7. a short abrupt inclination (as of the head)

  Familiarity information: BOB used as a noun is common.

• BOB (verb)
  The verb BOB has 5 senses:

1. move up and down repeatedly

2. ride a bobsled

3. remove or shorten the tail of an animal

4. make a curtsy; usually done only by girls and women; as a sign of respect

5. cut hair in the style of a bob

  Familiarity information: BOB used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BOB (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A former monetary unit in Great Britain

Classified under:

Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure

Synonyms:

bob; British shilling; shilling

Hypernyms ("bob" is a kind of...):

British monetary unit (monetary unit in Great Britain)

Meronyms (parts of "bob"):

cent (a fractional monetary unit of several countries)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A hair style for women and children; a short haircut all around

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Hypernyms ("bob" is a kind of...):

coif; coiffure; hair style; hairdo; hairstyle (the arrangement of the hair (especially a woman's hair))

Derivation:

bob (cut hair in the style of a bob)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A long racing sled (for 2 or more people) with a steering mechanism

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

bob; bobsled; bobsleigh

Hypernyms ("bob" is a kind of...):

sled; sledge; sleigh (a vehicle mounted on runners and pulled by horses or dogs; for transportation over snow)

Derivation:

bob (ride a bobsled)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A hanging weight, especially a metal ball on a string

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("bob" is a kind of...):

weight (an artifact that is heavy)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "bob"):

kite tail (a bob on a kite to provide balance)

plumb; plumb bob; plummet (the metal bob of a plumb line)

sounding lead (a metal bob at the end of a sounding line)

Holonyms ("bob" is a part of...):

pendulum (an apparatus consisting of an object mounted so that it swings freely under the influence of gravity)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A small float usually made of cork; attached to a fishing line

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

bob; bobber; bobfloat; cork

Hypernyms ("bob" is a kind of...):

float (something that floats on the surface of water)

Holonyms ("bob" is a member of...):

fishing gear; fishing rig; fishing tackle; rig; tackle (gear used in fishing)

Sense 6

Meaning:

A short or shortened tail of certain animals

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Synonyms:

bob; bobtail; dock

Hypernyms ("bob" is a kind of...):

tail (the posterior part of the body of a vertebrate especially when elongated and extending beyond the trunk or main part of the body)

Derivation:

bob (remove or shorten the tail of an animal)

Sense 7

Meaning:

A short abrupt inclination (as of the head)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Context example:

he gave me a short bob of acknowledgement

Hypernyms ("bob" is a kind of...):

inclination; inclining (the act of inclining; bending forward)

Derivation:

bob (make a curtsy; usually done only by girls and women; as a sign of respect)

• BOB (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they bob    ... he / she / it bobs   
Past simple: bobbed   
Past participle: bobbed   
-ing form: bobbing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Move up and down repeatedly

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

her rucksack bobbed gently on her back

Hypernyms (to "bob" is one way to...):

move (move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "bob"):

dabble (bob forward and under so as to feed off the bottom of a body of water)

bob about; bob around (move up and down with no specific path)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Derivation:

bobber (a small float usually made of cork; attached to a fishing line)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Ride a bobsled

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

bob; bobsled

Context example:

The boys bobbed down the hill screaming with pleasure

Hypernyms (to "bob" is one way to...):

sled; sleigh (ride (on) a sled)

Domain category:

athletics; sport (an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

bob (a long racing sled (for 2 or more people) with a steering mechanism)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Remove or shorten the tail of an animal

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

bob; dock; tail

Hypernyms (to "bob" is one way to...):

cut (separate with or as if with an instrument)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

bob (a short or shortened tail of certain animals)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Make a curtsy; usually done only by girls and women; as a sign of respect

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

bob; curtsy

Context example:

She curtsied when she shook the Queen's hand

Hypernyms (to "bob" is one way to...):

greet; recognise; recognize (express greetings upon meeting someone)

"Bob" entails doing...:

bow; bow down (bend one's knee or body, or lower one's head)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

bob (a short abrupt inclination (as of the head))

Sense 5

Meaning:

Cut hair in the style of a bob

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Context example:

Bernice bobs her hair these days!

Hypernyms (to "bob" is one way to...):

arrange; coif; coiffe; coiffure; do; dress; set (arrange attractively)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

They bob their hair

Derivation:

bob (a hair style for women and children; a short haircut all around)

 Context examples 

Hove to under this short canvas, our decks were comparatively free of water, while the Ghost bobbed and ducked amongst the combers like a cork.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

The stout gentleman half rose from his chair and gave a bob of greeting, with a quick little questioning glance from his small fat-encircled eyes.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Its orbit is also tilted a little, causing it to bob up and then down once each year through Earth's orbital plane.

(Small Asteroid Is Earth's Constant Companion, NASA)

She bobbed a frightened curtsey as Sir Nigel swept his velvet hat from his head and reined up his great charger.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I was handing him the half-sovereign, when something came bobbing up against the window, and Mr. Bilder's face doubled its natural length with surprise.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

We bobbed and grinned in front of each other.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“Five bob,” replied Miss Mowcher, “and dirt cheap, my chicken. Ain't I volatile, Mr. Copperfield?”

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

With many thanks, they said good night and crept in, hoping to disturb no one, but the instant their door creaked, two little nightcaps bobbed up, and two sleepy but eager voices cried out...

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

He hopped and bobbed clumsily along on his injured ankle, throwing stones and screaming hoarsely at times; at other times hopping and bobbing silently along, picking himself up grimly and patiently when he fell, or rubbing his eyes with his hand when the giddiness threatened to overpower him.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

Then he rolled over on his side with a heavy, sobbing sigh, saying: A sixpence is a tanner, and a shilling a bob; but what a pony is I don’t know.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)