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
Verb (1)
a family of ducks bobbing on the water
he playfully bobbed his brother on the nose to get his attention
Noun (2)
the lassie carried only a little bob on her wedding day
Verb (3)
bobbed her waist-length hair herself on her 18th birthday
Recent Examples on the Web
Bebe Hodges, The Enquirer, 27 Oct. 2024
The flood submerged their street, transforming trees into islands and leaving cars bobbing in several feet of water.
—Mackenzie Happe and Zoë Todd, CNN, 26 Oct. 2024
Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 5 Nov. 2024
An upcoming Sotheby’s auction will feature a rare portrait from a surprising new artist: a robot named Ai-Da, who creates paintings while sporting a chic brunette bob and overalls.
—Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bob 
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Verb
More than 1 million people visit the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden each year to see the hippos bob in and out of clear water, hear gibbons howl above the treetops, smell the elephants covered in dirt.
—Bebe Hodges, The Enquirer, 27 Oct. 2024
The flood submerged their street, transforming trees into islands and leaving cars bobbing in several feet of water.
—Mackenzie Happe and Zoë Todd, CNN, 26 Oct. 2024
Noun
Lots of layers and super short crops like pixies and bobs.
—Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 5 Nov. 2024
An upcoming Sotheby’s auction will feature a rare portrait from a surprising new artist: a robot named Ai-Da, who creates paintings while sporting a chic brunette bob and overalls.
—Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bob
Articles Related to bob
Dictionary Entries Near bob
Cite this Entry
“Bob.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bob. Accessed 22 Nov. 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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