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Glite Dictionary
🧑‍🎤 A nodding toy 🤖 A mindless follower
bobblehead doll

bobblehead doll

1 4.0
A small toy with a large head on a spring that nods when tapped
  • noun
  • /ˈbɑbəlˌhɛd dɔl/
translation icon : muñeco con cabeza móvil
  • At the game, fans cheered as they received a free Wayne Gretzky bobblehead doll, which bobbed enthusiastically when nudged.

Examples

  • Erie Catholic Bishop Donald W. Trautman has been immortalized in miniature with a bobblehead doll made in his likeness.

    Blog text (26)

  • My son's was complete with two dinosaurs, a Cubs bobblehead doll, a jar of change, and his slingshot.

    Blog text (27)

  • The shelf was adorned with various sports memorabilia, including a Koby Bryant bobblehead doll that wobbled when tapped.

  • For his birthday, he received a limited edition Elvis Presley bobblehead doll that dances when you push a button.

Synonyms

doll
vsbobblehead doll
738 1.0

A small person-shaped toy that children play with

has the same toy form but adds a spring that makes the head bob
figurine
vsbobblehead doll
37 5.3

A small model of a person, animal, or mythical character made of clay, metal, plastic

is a small toy that specifically has an oversized head on a spring
bobblehead
vsbobblehead doll
12 3.6

A small toy figure with an oversized head that moves

is a small toy with an oversized head mounted on a spring

How Wobbly

bobblehead doll
1 4.0
doll
738 1.0

Surface Forms

bobblehead doll singular
bobblehead dolls plural

Morphology

bobblehead + doll

The phrase combines 'bobblehead' (a toy or figurative label for someone who nods uncritically) with 'doll' (a toy), so the image of a nodding toy readily maps onto a person who agrees mindlessly. This is a metaphorical extension that is somewhat predictable from the parts but depends on cultural knowledge of bobblehead toys, making it only partially transparent to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Bobblehead doll comes from a small 'toy' with a big head on a spring that 'bobs' or nods when you tap it, so the head moves up and down or wobbles. That's why the name refers to the little figure whose head keeps moving.