fob
/fɒb/ noun, verb
Forms fobs fobbing fobbed fub F.O.B. F. O. B.
- noun A little pocket near the waistline of a pair of trousers or in a waistcoat or vest to hold money or valuables, especially a pocket watch.
- noun A short chain or ribbon to connect such a pocket to the watch.
- noun A small ornament attached to such a chain. “fob seal”
- noun (modern usage) A hand-held electronic device that can be used as a remote control or as a key to unlock motor cars, doors, etc., and thus, modern car keys.
- verb (transitive, archaic) To cheat, to deceive, to trick, to take in, to impose upon someone.
- verb (transitive, archaic) To beat; to maul.
Synonyms
freshie greener new chum blow-in come-here comeling entrant fresh meat incomer Johnny-come-lately Johnny Raw newcomer newbie newling offcomer outcomeling stranger watch pocket watch chain watch guard flim-flam play a joke on play tricks trick fox pull a fast one on play a trick on
Etymology
From Low German Fobke (“pocket”) or High Prussian Fuppe (“pocket”), probably related to Swedish ficka (“pocket”), Old Danish fikke, Alemannic German figge, Middle Dutch vicke, all from Proto-Germanic *fikkja, of uncertain ultimate origin:
* possibly from Proto-Indo-European *pewǵ- (“to assail, strike”), related to *fukkōną (“to strike”);
* or of Romance origin, from Latin figere (“to fix, fasten”), possibly via an old form of Italian ficcare.
From German foppen (“to mock”).
Abbreviation.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A little pocket for a watch. Fob chain, a short watch chain worn a watch carried in the fob.
- verb To beat; to maul. [Obs.]
- verb To cheat; to trick; to impose on. Shak. To fob off, to shift off by an artifice; to put aside; to delude with a trick."A conspiracy of bishops could prostrate and fob off the right of the people." Milton.
Etymology [Cf.Prov. G. fuppe pocket.]
Etymology [Cf.Fop.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “fob”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details