- bob
- bob1 v past tense and past participle bobbed present participle bobbing▬▬▬▬▬▬▬1¦(move on water)¦2¦(move somewhere)¦3 bob your head4¦(cut hair)¦▬▬▬▬▬▬▬[Sense: 1-3; Date: 1300-1400; Origin: Perhaps from bob 'to hit, punch' (13-19 centuries), from the sound.][Sense: 4; Date: 1900-2000; Origin: BOB21]1.) ¦(MOVE ON WATER)¦to move up and down when floating on the surface of water▪ The boat bobbed gently up and down on the water.2.) ¦(MOVE SOMEWHERE)¦ [I always + adverb/preposition]to move quickly in a particular direction▪ Mrs Foster bobbed about, gathering up her things.3.) bob your headto move your head down quickly as a way of showing respect, greeting someone, or agreeing with them▪ He spoke rapidly to the girl, who bobbed her head.4.) ¦(CUT HAIR)¦ [T]to cut someone's, especially a woman's, hair in a bob▪ her neatly bobbed hairbob 2bob2 [i]n[Sense: 1; Date: 1900-2000; Origin: bob 'bunch (of hair)' (14-20 centuries), perhaps from Scottish Gaelic baban][Sense: 2; Date: 1800-1900; Origin: BOB1][Sense: 3; Date: 1700-1800; Origin: Perhaps from Bob, an informal name for someone called Robert]1.) a way of cutting hair so that it hangs to the level of your chin and is the same length all the way round your head2.) a quick up and down movement of your head or body, to show respect, agreement, greeting etc▪ The maid gave a little bob and left the room.3.) [plural] informala ↑shilling (=coin used in the past in Britain)▪ At last I'm making a few bob (=a reasonable amount of money) .
Dictionary of contemporary English. 2013.