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Fob vs Mob - What's the difference?

fob | mob |

As nouns the difference between fob and mob

is that fob is a little pocket near the waistline of a pair of trousers or in a waistcoat or vest to hold a pocketwatch; a watch pocket while mob is an unruly group of people.

As verbs the difference between fob and mob

is that fob is to cheat, to trick, to take in, to impose upon someone while mob is to crowd around (someone), often with hostility.

As initialisms the difference between fob and mob

is that fob is forward operating base while MOB is Man Over Board, used e.g. on the emergency button of a satellite navigator. By pushing the button the operator stores the coordinates of a man overboard incident for easy access.

As an acronym FOB

is free On Board.

As an abbreviation mob is

mobile phone.

fob

English

Etymology 1

* High German

Noun

(en noun)
  • A little pocket near the waistline of a pair of trousers or in a waistcoat or vest to hold a pocketwatch; a watch pocket.
    • 1711 Jonathan Swift , Windsor Prophecy :
  • :* With a saint at his chin and a seal at his fob .
  • A short chain or ribbon to connect such a pocket to the watch.
  • A small ornament attached to such a chain. (See Usage Notes below)
  • A hand-held remote control device used to lock/unlock motor cars etc.
    • Usage notes
    * The Jonathan Swift quote indicates that the word "fob" at that time period did not specifically apply to an object attached to the chain or watch. * A "fob" attached directly to the watch serves as an ornament and or as a grip for more easily pulling the watch from the watch pocket. * A fob attached to a drooping chain would be mainly an ornament.

    Etymology 2

    (etyl)

    Alternative forms

    * fub

    Verb

    (fobb)
  • (archaic) To cheat, to trick, to take in, to impose upon someone.
    • 1604 William Shakespeare , Othello, iv, 2:
  • :* I think it is scurvy, and begin to find myself fobbed in it.
  • (archaic) To beat; to maul.
    • Derived terms
    * to fob off

    References

    * 1897 Universal Dictionary of the English Language , Robert Hunter and Charles Morris, eds., v 2 p 2146.

    Anagrams

    * *

    mob

    English

    Etymology 1

    (etyl), short for mobile, from (etyl) . The video-gaming sense originates from English mobile, used by (Richard Bartle) for objects capable of movement in an early MUD.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An unruly group of people.
  • *(James Madison), Jr. (1751-1836)
  • *:Had every Athenian citizen been a Socrates, every Athenian assembly would still have been a mob .
  • A commonly used collective noun for animals such as horses or cattle.
  • The Mafia, or a similar group that engages in organized crime (preceded by the ).
  • *
  • *:The Bat—they called him the Bat.. He'd never been in stir, the bulls had never mugged him, he didn't run with a mob , he played a lone hand, and fenced his stuff so that even the fence couldn't swear he knew his face.
  • *1986 , (Paul Chadwick), Concrete: Under the Desert Stars , Dark Horse Books
  • *:What if it is a mob killing? They can’t hurt me, but …
  • (lb) A non-player character that exists to be fought or killed to further the progression of the story or game.
  • *2002 , "Wolfie", Re: Whoa - massive changes due in next patch'' (on newsgroup ''alt.games.everquest )
  • *:You can't win with small, balanced groups. You have to zerg the mob with a high number of players.
  • (lb) The lower classes of a community; the rabble.
  • *(Joseph Addison) (1672–1719)
  • *:A cluster of mob were making themselves merry with their betters.
  • (lb) A cohesive group of people.
  • *2011 March 10, Allan Clarke, W.A. through Noongar eyes
  • *:There’s nothing like local knowledge and after thousands of years living here the Noongar mob understand this land better than anyone, so it makes sense for them to tap into the lucrative tourism industry.
    • Derived terms
    * flash mob * lynch mob * meal mob * mob rule * mob-handed * mobber * mobbish * mobbist * mobbism * moblike * mobmobile * mobocracy * mobster * vote mob
    Synonyms
    * (mafia) mafia, Mafia

    Verb

    (mobb)
  • To crowd around (someone), often with hostility.
    • The fans mobbed a well-dressed couple who resembled their idols.
  • To crowd into or around a place.
    • The shoppers mobbed the store on the first day of the sale.
  • (video games) The act of a player aggroing enemies so they follow them and gather, forming a mob of foes. (rfex)

    • Etymology 2

    Alteration of (mab).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete) A promiscuous woman; a harlot or wench; a prostitute.
  • A mob cap.
    • (Goldsmith)
    Derived terms
    * mob cap

    Verb

    (mobb)
  • To wrap up in, or cover with, a cowl.

    • Etymology 3

    Abbreviation of mobile phone.

    Abbreviation

    (Abbreviation) (en-abbr)
  • mobile phone
    • Usage notes
    * This is most often used in signwriting to match with with the other three-letter abbreviations and (fax).

    Anagrams

    * *

    External links

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