Bob — Defs

01 n. Anything that hangs so as to play loosely, or with a short abrupt motion, as at the end of a string; a pendant; as, the bob at the end of a…

1.
Anything that hangs so as to play loosely, or with a short abrupt motion, as at the end of a string; a pendant; as, the bob at the end of a kite's tail.
“In jewels dressed and at each ear a bob.” — Dryden.
2.
A knot of worms, or of rags, on a string, used in angling, as for eels; formerly, a worm suitable for bait.
“Or yellow bobs, turned up before the plow, Are chiefest baits, with cork and lead enow.” — Lauson.
3.
A small piece of cork or light wood attached to a fishing line to show when a fish is biting; a float.
4.
The ball or heavy part of a pendulum; also, the ball or weight at the end of a plumb line.
5.
A small wheel, made of leather, with rounded edges, used in polishing spoons, etc.
6.
A short, jerking motion; act of bobbing; as, a bob of the head.
7.
A working beam.(Steam Engine)
8.
A knot or short curl of hair; also, a bob wig.
“A plain brown bob he wore.” — Shenstone.
9.
A peculiar mode of ringing changes on bells.
10.
The refrain of a song.
“To bed, to bed, will be the bob of the song.” — L'Estrange.
11.
A blow; a shake or jog; a rap, as with the fist.
12.
A jeer or flout; a sharp jest or taunt; a trick.
“He that a fool doth very wisely hit, Doth very foolishly, although he smart, Not to seem senseless of the bob.” — Shak.
13.
A shilling.[Slang, Eng.]

02 v. t. To cause to move in a short, jerking manner; to move (a thing) with a bob.

imp. & p. p. Bobbed; p. pr. & vb. n. Bobbing

1.
To cause to move in a short, jerking manner; to move (a thing) with a bob.
2.
To strike with a quick, light blow; to tap.
“If any man happened by long sitting to sleep . . . he was suddenly bobbed on the face by the servants.” — Elyot.
3.
To cheat; to gain by fraud or cheating; to filch.
“Gold and jewels that I bobbed from him.” — Shak.
4.
To mock or delude; to cheat.
“To play her pranks, and bob the fool, The shrewish wife began.” — Turbervile.
5.
To cut short; as, to bob the hair, or a horse's tail.

03 v. i. To have a short, jerking motion; to play to and fro, or up and down; to play loosely against anything.

1.
To have a short, jerking motion; to play to and fro, or up and down; to play loosely against anything.
2.
To angle with a bob. See Bob, n., 2 & 3. See: Bob
“He ne'er had learned the art to bob For anything but eels.” — Saxe.

Phrases & compounds

To bob at an apple, a cherry, — to attempt to bite or seize with the mouth an apple, a cherry, or another round fruit, while it is swinging from a string or floating in a tug of water.