bob

bob · verb, noun¹

1. Middle English · derived frombobben“to move up and down or back and forth”
2. English todaybob

From Middle English bobben (“to move up and down or back and forth”), of uncertain origin. Compare Scots bob (“to mark, dance with a bobbing motion”), Icelandic boppa (“to wave up and down”), Swedish bobba (“to bob”), Faroese bøbbur (“something that rises or stands up; top”), Dutch dobberen (“to float, bob”).

bob · noun, verb²

1. Middle English · inherited frombobbe“a cluster (of fruit); a twig with its leaves, a spray”
2. English todaybob

From Middle English bobbe (“a cluster (of fruit); a twig with its leaves, a spray”), perhaps of Celtic origin (compare Irish baban "tassel, cluster," Gaelic babag).

bob · noun³

Blend of blitter object.

BOB · noun⁴

Acronym of battery-operated boyfriend, fortuitously spelling out the male given name Bob in the case of the humorous colloquial definition.

BOB · adjective⁵

Acronym of back of the book.

Bob · proper noun, noun⁶

Probably from a medieval hypocorism of Rob.