mob

Pronunciation

• (UK) enPR: mŏb, IPA^(key): /mɒb/
• (US) enPR: mŏb, IPA^(key): /mɑb/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒb

Noun

mob (plural mobs)

1. A large or disorderly group of people; especially one bent on riotous or destructive action.
   • James Madison, Jr. (1751-1836)

     Had every Athenian citizen been a Socrates, every Athenian assembly would still have been a mob.

2. A commonly used collective noun for animals such as horses or cattle.
3. The Mafia, or a similar group that engages in organized crime (preceded by the).
   • 1920, Mary Roberts Rinehart, Avery Hopwood, The Bat, chapterI:

     The Bat—they called him the Bat. […]. He'd never been in stir, the bulls had never mugged him, he didn't run with a mob, he played a lone hand, and fenced his stuff so that even the fence couldn't swear he knew his face.

   • 1986, Paul Chadwick, Concrete: Under the Desert Stars, Dark Horse Books

     What if it is a mob killing? They can’t hurt me, but …

4. (video games) A non-player character, especially one that exists to be fought or killed to further the progression of the story or game.
   • 2002, "Wolfie", Re: Whoa - massive changes due in next patch (on newsgroup alt.games.everquest)

     You can't win with small, balanced groups. You have to zerg the mob with a high number of players.

5. (archaic) The lower classes of a community; the rabble.
   • Joseph Addison (1672–1719)

     A cluster of mob were making themselves merry with their betters.

6. (Australian Aboriginal) A cohesive group of people.
   • 2011 March 10, Allan Clarke, W.A. through Noongar eyes

     There’s nothing like local knowledge and after thousands of years living here the Noongar mob understand this land better than anyone, so it makes sense for them to tap into the lucrative tourism industry.

Verb

mob (third-person singular simple present mobs, present participle mobbing, simple past and past participle mobbed)

1. (transitive) To crowd around (someone), sometimes with hostility.

   The fans mobbed a well-dressed couple who resembled their idols.

   • 2017 June 26, Alexis Petridis, “Glastonbury 2017 verdict: Radiohead, Foo Fighters, Lorde, Stormzy and more”, in the Guardian‎:

     Politicians have been turning up to Glastonbury for years, but this year the leader of the opposition was among the most hotly anticipated attractions: when he arrived on site, his Land Rover was mobbed by fans.

2. (transitive) To crowd into or around a place.

   The shoppers mobbed the store on the first day of the sale.

Noun

mob (plural mobs)

1. (obsolete) A promiscuous woman; a harlot or wench; a prostitute. [17th-18th c.]
2. A mob cap.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Goldsmith to this entry?)

Verb

mob (third-person singular simple present mobs, present participle mobbing, simple past and past participle mobbed)

1. (transitive) To wrap up in, or cover with, a cowl.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɒb/

Noun

mob (plural mobs)

1. mobile phone