Bob /(bŏb)/

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

13. A shilling. [Slang, Eng.]

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.

3. To cheat; to gain by fraud or cheating; to filch.

   Gold and jewels that I bobbed from him.

4. To mock or delude; to cheat.

   To play her pranks, and bob the fool, The shrewish wife began.

5. To cut short; as, to bob the hair, or a horse's tail.

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.

   He ne'er had learned the art to bob For anything but eels.