bobbed; bobbing
1
: to strike with a quick light blow : rap
2
: to move up and down in a short quick movement
bob the head
3
: to polish with a bob : buff
1
a
: to move up and down briefly or repeatedly
b
: to emerge, arise, or appear suddenly or unexpectedly
2
: to nod or curtsy briefly
3
: to try to seize a suspended or floating object with the teeth
1
a
: a short quick down-and-up motion
b
Scotland
: any of several folk dances
2
obsolete
: a blow or tap especially with the fist
3
a
: a modification of the order in change ringing
b
: a method of change ringing using a bob
4
: a small polishing wheel of solid felt or leather with rounded edges
bobbed; bobbing
bobbed; bobbing
1
: to cut shorter : crop
bob a horse's tail
2
: to cut (hair) in the style of a bob
Synonyms
Examples of bob in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 24 Mar. 2024
The agents cut their engines and killed the lights, bobbing in silence in the moonlit waves of the vast Pacific.
—David Culver, CNN, 5 Feb. 2024
Trump Has Promised to Do in a Second Term
For the next few hours, Peso bobs around like a ball of electricity, bursting into different rooms and jumping onto different songs.
—Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2024
When the dock bobbed in the wake of the boat, the keys plopped into the water.
—Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024
For one thing, drilling through hard rock rapidly wears out drill bits, forcing regular bit changes and the need to reenter the same tiny borehole from a ship bobbing atop hundreds or thousands of meters of water, which is like dropping a needle into a pinhole.
—Quanta Magazine, 4 Jan. 2024
Perched atop the cliffs of Disko Bay, where bobbing icebergs and families of breaching whales comprise the view, the minimalist lodging is a leader in eco-luxury so couples will feel good about their stay in this fragile part of the world that’s a part of UNESCO’s world heritage list.
—Jillian Dara, Robb Report, 29 Feb. 2024
In the video, the Migos star is seen bobbing his head and loving the music with a satisfied stank face on, and since the video had no audio, viewers were left to their imagination in interpreting the caption.
—Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 27 Feb. 2024
As the sun comes up, green heads can often be seen bobbing in the inlet, followed by long, scaly bodies: iguanas clambering up the small wooden jetty to warm themselves.
—Alice Newell-Hanson Stefan Ruiz, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024
Hannah Coates, Vogue, 9 Apr. 2024
Long bobs and dad lobs are all the rage these days, but the origin of the hairstyle is close-cropped and blunt.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 9 Apr. 2024
Getty Images Flippy lobs and bobs like Zendaya's have been one of the biggest trends of 2024 thus far, with stars like Christina Aguilera, Emma Stone, and Ayo Edebiri giving the style a spin.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 8 Apr. 2024
Ask for just below the chin. 35 of 36
Bob with Bangs
Adding wispy bangs to a shaggy bob is the finishing touch that pulls the whole look together.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 18 Mar. 2024
Kylie Jenner Dazzles in Figure-Hugging Dress at 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party
For this particular shoot, Jenner rocked a chic bob by Jesus Guerrero.
—Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024
Tyler did just that by cutting Miracle’s bob before stepping out.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 29 Mar. 2024
Just a few weeks after Penélope Cruz and Selena Gomez debuted midi bobs, which many stylists consider to be the haircut of the year, the actor debuted her own take on the trending midlength bob.
—Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 27 Mar. 2024
Bailey paired her bob with an equally springy glam, with softly smoky taupe eyes, peachy rose blush, a fluttery, wispy strip lash, and lined glossy lips.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 25 Mar. 2024
Verb
Most creepy is that climate change has warmed the great lake and its long-dead bodies are bobbing to the surface.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 24 Mar. 2024
The agents cut their engines and killed the lights, bobbing in silence in the moonlit waves of the vast Pacific.
—David Culver, CNN, 5 Feb. 2024
Trump Has Promised to Do in a Second Term
For the next few hours, Peso bobs around like a ball of electricity, bursting into different rooms and jumping onto different songs.
—Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2024
When the dock bobbed in the wake of the boat, the keys plopped into the water.
—Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024
For one thing, drilling through hard rock rapidly wears out drill bits, forcing regular bit changes and the need to reenter the same tiny borehole from a ship bobbing atop hundreds or thousands of meters of water, which is like dropping a needle into a pinhole.
—Quanta Magazine, 4 Jan. 2024
Perched atop the cliffs of Disko Bay, where bobbing icebergs and families of breaching whales comprise the view, the minimalist lodging is a leader in eco-luxury so couples will feel good about their stay in this fragile part of the world that’s a part of UNESCO’s world heritage list.
—Jillian Dara, Robb Report, 29 Feb. 2024
In the video, the Migos star is seen bobbing his head and loving the music with a satisfied stank face on, and since the video had no audio, viewers were left to their imagination in interpreting the caption.
—Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 27 Feb. 2024
As the sun comes up, green heads can often be seen bobbing in the inlet, followed by long, scaly bodies: iguanas clambering up the small wooden jetty to warm themselves.
—Alice Newell-Hanson Stefan Ruiz, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024
Noun
Baroque, long, choppy, French or Italian, there’s a bob for every face shape, hair texture and aesthetic–and with Google searches up over 1000 percent in the last month alone, their popularity shows no signs of waning.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 9 Apr. 2024
Long bobs and dad lobs are all the rage these days, but the origin of the hairstyle is close-cropped and blunt.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 9 Apr. 2024
Getty Images Flippy lobs and bobs like Zendaya's have been one of the biggest trends of 2024 thus far, with stars like Christina Aguilera, Emma Stone, and Ayo Edebiri giving the style a spin.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 8 Apr. 2024
Ask for just below the chin. 35 of 36
Bob with Bangs
Adding wispy bangs to a shaggy bob is the finishing touch that pulls the whole look together.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 18 Mar. 2024
Kylie Jenner Dazzles in Figure-Hugging Dress at 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party
For this particular shoot, Jenner rocked a chic bob by Jesus Guerrero.
—Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024
Tyler did just that by cutting Miracle’s bob before stepping out.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 29 Mar. 2024
Just a few weeks after Penélope Cruz and Selena Gomez debuted midi bobs, which many stylists consider to be the haircut of the year, the actor debuted her own take on the trending midlength bob.
—Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 27 Mar. 2024
Bailey paired her bob with an equally springy glam, with softly smoky taupe eyes, peachy rose blush, a fluttery, wispy strip lash, and lined glossy lips.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 25 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bob.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Dictionary Entries Near bob
Cite this Entry
“Bob.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bob. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bob
1 of 4 verb
bobbed; bobbing
1
a
: to move or cause to move up and down in a short quick movement
bob the head
a cork bobbing in the water
b
: to appear suddenly or unexpectedly
may bob up anywhere
2
: to grasp or make a grab with the teeth
bob for apples
bob
2 of 4 noun
: a short jerky motion
a bob of the head
bob
3 of 4 nounEtymology
Verb
Middle English boben, bobben "to hit or beat"
Noun
from earlier bob "a knot or twist of yarn or hair," from Middle English bobbe "bunch, cluster"
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