bobble

¹bob·ble

verb \ˈbä-bəl\

: to move up and down quickly or repeatedly

: to handle (something, such as a ball) in a clumsy or awkward way : to fail to catch (something)

bob·bled bob·bling \-b(ə-)liŋ\

Full Definition of BOBBLE

1

:  ¹bob

2

:  fumble

Examples of BOBBLE

1. The catcher bobbled the ball.
2. <the first baseman bobbled the catch, so the runner was safe>

Origin of BOBBLE

frequentative of ¹bob

First Known Use: 1812

Related to BOBBLE

Synonyms

blow, botch, boggle, bollix (up), boot, bugger (up), bumble, bungle, butcher, dub, flub, fluff, foozle, foul up, fumble, goof (up), louse up, mangle, mess (up), muck up, muff, murder, screw up

Related Words

blunder, gum (up), muddle, piffle; blemish, blight, damage, flaw, harm, hurt, impair, injure, mar, mutilate, ruin, spoil, vitiate; destroy, wreck; mishandle, mismanage

Near Antonyms

ameliorate, better, enhance, help, improve, meliorate, rectify, refine, reform, remedy; doctor, fix, patch, recondition, renovate, repair, revamp

Rhymes with BOBBLE

cobble, gobble, hobble, Kabul, nobble, obol, squabble, wobble

²bobble

noun

: a mistake that occurs when a player fails to catch or handle the ball properly in baseball, football, etc.

: a small ball of fabric that is used for decoration

Full Definition of BOBBLE

1

:  a repeated bobbing movement

2

:  a small ball of fabric; especially :  one in a series used on an edging

3

:  error, mistake; especially :  a mishandling of the ball in baseball or football

Examples of BOBBLE

1. a bobble that cost them the game
2. The curtains have a series of bobbles along the edge.

First Known Use of BOBBLE

1880

Related to BOBBLE

Synonyms

blunder, error, boob [British], boo-boo, brick, clanger [British], clinker, fault, flub, fluff, fumble, gaff, gaffe, goof, inaccuracy, lapse, miscue, misstep, mistake, oversight, screwup, slip, slipup, stumble, trip

Related Words

bloomer, blooper, boner, howler, pratfall; foul-up, snafu; misapprehension, miscalculation, miscomprehension, misconception, misconstruction, miscue, misdescription, misimpression, misinterpretation, misjudgment, misreading, misstatement, misunderstanding

Near Antonyms

accuracy, correctness, exactitude, exactness, preciseness, precision, strictness; inerrancy, infallibility, perfection

Rhymes with BOBBLE

cobble, gobble, hobble, squabble, wobble