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

Let the corn cool to touch, then slice kernels off the cob and set aside. —John Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 3 June 2024

Round up a sharp knife, then follow these steps for how to cut corn off the cob (without making a mess). —Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 June 2024

Her husband, Steve, is armed with a small metal thresher that strips the cobs in seconds flat. —Ashlea Halpern, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Apr. 2023

There is still delicious flavor to be found in the cobs even once the corn kernels are gone. —Patricia S York, Southern Living, 29 May 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