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bob

bob

1 7.5
A small float on a fishing line that shows when a fish bites
  • noun
  • /bɑb/
  • UK
translation icon : boya
  • Just after dark, fishermen, alone in bateaux, lowered two bobs on lines to the bottom and caught eels for about 4 hours.
  • cork bob
  • bob in the water
  • bob on the sea

Examples

  • The fisherman watched the bob on his line to see if it moved, which would mean a fish had bitten.

  • A bright red bob floated on the water, signaling the location of the fisherman's hook beneath the surface.

  • Then he pushed it over the side, saw it bob in the waves for several minutes, finally sinking out of sight.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • A small figure bobs in the water about fifty yards in front of them.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • I watched the bottle bob away, ghostly white on the dark water, and wished he would leave.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • The orange buoy bobbing on the surface here is only a few feet from our heads.

    Academic text (1991)
  • Several boats bob peacefully.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • As they cast their lines, the bobs attached to each line danced gently on the lake's calm surface.

Synonyms

bobber
vsbob
  • US
5 5.8

A small float you attach to a fishing line to show when a fish bites

is the same float but known by a different name
cork
vsbob
5 3.9

A small float attached to a fishing line to keep bait near the water surface

is used to signal a bite rather than hold bait at depth
bobfloat
vsbob
  • Specialized
9.4

Small float made of cork attached to a fishing line to show when a fish bites

is broader in material and can include plastic

Idioms

no siree Bob
  • Informal
1 9.9

A strong informal phrase for refusing something

Compounds

9.9

A short, rounded fashionable haircut with a neat, even shape often seen in LGBTQ+ culture

7.0

A heavy pointed weight on a string used to show a vertical line

How Buoyant

buoy
  • Specialized
49 6.0
bob
  • UK
1 7.5
float
8 1.1

Surface Forms

bob singular
bobs plural

Etymology

Bob (fishing float) gets its name from the verb bob, which means 'to move up and down'. So the small float is called a bob because it bobs on the water.