bob
n. countablen. a common short name for a man called Robert. In some parts of the world, people also use it as a friendly way to talk about a man you do not know.
n. a familiar diminutive form of the masculine given name Robert. Occasionally used as a generic placeholder name for a male person in informal British English.
My friend Bob is coming over for dinner tonight.
After years of working together, everyone in the office simply referred to the manager as Bob.
While the name Robert has royal associations, its diminutive Bob often carries a more approachable, everyman connotation in contemporary English-speaking cultures.
Probably from a medieval hypocorism of Rob.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Proper noun; capitalized when used as a specific name.
- Nounbob
- Nounbobcat
- 01
bits and bobs
A random assortment of things; small remaining pieces and items.
- 02
Bob's your uncle
No problem, the solution is simple, there you have it, it's that easy, you have what you want, all will be well: indicates a desirable conclusion has been reached with ease.
- 03
two bob
A trivially small value.
Last updated May 2, 2026