bob
verb · noun
Simple meaning
To move gently and vertically, in either a single motion or repeatedly up and down.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
bahbIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈbɑb
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
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.
“Her rucksack bobbed gently on her back.”
transitive
To move (something) as though it were bobbing in water.
Make a curtsy; usually done only by girls and women; as a sign of respect
Cut hair in the style of a bob
“Bernice bobs her hair these days!”
To strike with a quick, light blow; to tap.
transitive
To cut (hair) into a bob haircut.
noun
A bobbing motion; a quick up and down movement.
A curtsy.
A bobber (buoyant fishing device).
A bob haircut.
The dangling mass of a pendulum or plumb line.
Any round object attached loosely to a flexible line, a rod, a body part etc., so that it may swing when hanging from it.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A2 · Elementary
- Frequency
- Very Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A short or shortened tail of certain animals
Used this way, bob is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Nearby words
- bobsled , rarer, so it draws attention
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
How It’s Used
The word’s distinct uses, one example each.
Moveverb
“Her rucksack bobbed gently on her back.”
Cutverb
“Bernice bobs her hair these days!”
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Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.