mob

mob¹ [mɔb US ma:b] n

[Date: 1600-1700; : Latin; Origin: mobile vulgus 'excitable crowd', from mobilis; MOBILE¹]

1.) a large noisy crowd, especially one that is angry and violent

mob of

▪ a mob of a few hundred demonstrators

▪ They were immediately surrounded by the mob.

▪ The leadership had been criticized for giving in to mob rule (=when a mob controls the situation rather than the government or the law) .

2.) informal a group of people of the same type

= ↑gang mob of

▪ The usual mob of teenagers were standing on the corner.

the heavy mob

BrE (=group of strong violent men)

▪ What happens if they send the heavy mob round to find him?

3.) the Mob

the ↑mafia (=a powerful organization of criminals)

4.) the mob

old use an insulting expression meaning all the poorest and least educated people in society

5.) mob of sheep/cattle

AusE a large group of sheep or cattle

mob ²

mob² past tense and past participle mobbed present participle mobbing

v [T]

1.) if people mob a famous person, they rush to get close to them and form a crowd around them

▪ Fans ran onto the pitch and mobbed the batsman.

2.) if a group of birds or animals mob another bird or animal, they all attack it