Meanings
nounemu bob (countable and uncountable, plural emu bobs)
plural emu bobs
- AustraliacountableuncountableA task assigned to a group of people, especially schoolchildren or army recruits, where they move around an area and pick up rubbish from the ground.
Synonyms: emu parade, emu patrol
- AustraliacountableuncommonuncountableAny activity which involves repetitive bending down over a wide area, such as searching for clues relating to somebody's disappearance.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA task assigned to a group of people, especially schoolchildren or army recruits, where they move around an area and pick up rubbish from the ground.
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Origin
The motion of the people repeatedly bending down and standing up is likened to emus bobbing their head as they forage on the ground.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
emu bob. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/emu%20bob
MLA
“emu bob.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/emu%20bob. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “emu bob,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/emu%20bob.
Source: emu bob on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.