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

Cutting fresh corn from the cob is a must for these cheery summer pizzas. —Hannah Agran, Midwest Living, 28 Apr. 2026

One reader also suggested cutting the uncooked corn of the cob and sautéing it in oil, salt, and pepper instead. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2026

According to police, necropsy results for both of the dead dogs revealed a cylindrical obstruction, resembling a corn cob, as well as a black substance consistent with bedding material. —Kellie Love, Hartford Courant, 24 Apr. 2026

The cobs are delivered to an on-board machine which strips the corn from the cob. —Sabbir Rangwala, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026

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

Rhymes for cob

• blob
• bob
• daub
• fob
• glob
• gob
• hob
• job
• knob
• lob
• mob
• rob

Kids Definition

cob

noun

ˈkäb 

1

: a male swan

2

: corncob

3

: a short-legged stocky horse