cob

noun

ˈkäb 

1

[perhaps short for cobswan lead swan] : a male swan

2

a

dialectal, England : a rounded mass, lump, or heap

b

: a mixture of unburned clay and straw used especially for constructing walls of small houses in England

3

: a crudely struck old Spanish coin of irregular shape

—often used before another noun

a cob dollar

4

: corncob sense 1

5

: a stocky short-legged riding horse

Examples of cob in a Sentence

She used a knife to cut the corn from the cob.

We had corn on the cob.

Recent Examples on the Web

Add corn cobs, cover, and boil until tender, 2 to 4 minutes. —Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 14 Oct. 2024

The corn is cooked in brown butter, and paired with a parmesan bomb of a broth created from leftover husks and cobs. —Kaila Yu, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024

The husks should be bright green, tight around the cob, and still have some moisture, rather than feel crispy, brown, or loose. —Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 July 2024

Check for signs of insects, like holes in the husk or mushiness at the top of the cob. —Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English cobbe leader of a group, head; probably akin to cub (young animal), Middle English kebbe old cow or sheep, Dutch dialect kabbe, kebbe piglet

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing cob

• corn on the cob
• Welsh cob

Kids Definition

cob

noun

ˈkäb 

1

: a male swan

2

: corncob

3

: a short-legged stocky horse