blob

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: a small drop or lump of something viscid or thick
b
: a daub or spot of color
2
: something shapeless

blob

2 of 2

verb

blobbed; blobbing

transitive verb

: to mark with blobs : splotch

Example Sentences

Noun That blue blob in the corner of the map is the lake we're headed for. flicked a blob of jelly on the toast and began to spread it around
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Back in 2011, scientists noticed a huge blob of brown seaweed called sargassum forming a 5,000-mile belt from West Africa to the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico—and has only grown bigger in the following years. Kelsey Mulvey, House Beautiful, 15 Mar. 2023 Like an ultrasound technician drops a blob of cold lubricant on a pregnant person's belly, the same is done on the neck region. Christine Coppa, Health, 15 Mar. 2023 It’s brought to life by 3-D animation and ported over from Lower Manhattan to virtual reality, growing into a nightmarish Cthulhu-like blob that surrounds their avatars. Dean Kissick, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2021 This blob then morphs into an earlier jellyfish life stage: a branching, plantlike polyp that in turn releases young jellies into the ocean. Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Dec. 2022 The Dynamic Island replaces the notch in the iPhone 14 Pros, and this shape-shifting blob that covers the camera hole in the screen offers a quick visual reminder that your phone is still doing something in the background. Geoffrey A. Fowler, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2022 Animated maps of the shifting front line show a red blob seeping westward like spilled wine spreading over a tablecloth. Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, 23 July 2022 This blob is not exactly at the center of SN 1987A, though; it’s slightly offset. Yvette Cendes, Discover Magazine, 6 Aug. 2020 Neil Godwin/Getty Images Tired of looking like a pixelated blob on your Zoom calls? Julian Chokkattu, Wired, 20 July 2022
Verb
The 30-centimeter-long adult grows out of a larva that is little more than a sesame seed–size blob with an eyespot at one end and a band of cilia around its body. Byelizabeth Pennisi, science.org, 17 Jan. 2023 The blob-like shape is a result of spending several days in snowpack. Discover Magazine, 3 Feb. 2015 The Pacific Ocean off South America—that big blue blob on the map—resists extreme heat because of the upwelling of cold, deep waters. Matt Simon, Wired, 1 Feb. 2022 In his paper, Ehrlich drew a toxin as an amoeboid blob with small nubs jutting out of it, each differently shaped; the antibodies were like little tadpoles whose mouths sometimes fit exactly onto the nubs. Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2021 In his paper, Ehrlich drew a toxin as an amoeboid blob with small nubs jutting out of it, each differently shaped; the antibodies were like little tadpoles whose mouths sometimes fit exactly onto the nubs. Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2021 In his paper, Ehrlich drew a toxin as an amoeboid blob with small nubs jutting out of it, each differently shaped; the antibodies were like little tadpoles whose mouths sometimes fit exactly onto the nubs. Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2021 In his paper, Ehrlich drew a toxin as an amoeboid blob with small nubs jutting out of it, each differently shaped; the antibodies were like little tadpoles whose mouths sometimes fit exactly onto the nubs. Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2021 In his paper, Ehrlich drew a toxin as an amoeboid blob with small nubs jutting out of it, each differently shaped; the antibodies were like little tadpoles whose mouths sometimes fit exactly onto the nubs. Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blob.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English (Scots)

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of blob was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near blob

Cite this Entry

“Blob.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blob. Accessed 30 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

blob

noun
ˈbläb
: a small lump of something thick and wet

More from Merriam-Webster on blob

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!


Love It or Hate It

  • heart-fire
  • When asked about her blind date, Carol spoke for hours with vitriol.
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ
Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Can you make 12 words with 7 letters?

PLAY