Bob vs. Nob — What's the Difference?
By Maham Liaqat & Fiza Rafique — Updated on April 30, 2024
Bob is a common nickname for Robert, often used in English-speaking countries, while Nob is a slang term for a person of high social status or an important person.
Difference Between Bob and Nob
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Key Differences
Bob is frequently used as a shortened form of the name Robert, deriving from Old Germanic origins meaning "bright fame." On the other hand, Nob originates from the 17th-century English slang, referring to someone of higher social status or importance.
In usage, Bob is a familiar and casual name, widely accepted in social and professional settings. In contrast, Nob is typically used informally and often carries a humorous or ironic tone.
While Bob can refer to any male, especially those named Robert, Nob specifically denotes someone perceived as being at the top of a social or hierarchical structure.
Cultural associations of Bob include everyman qualities and approachability, whereas Nob is often associated with exclusivity and sometimes arrogance.
Over the decades, Bob has maintained a consistent presence in popular culture, evident in characters like Bob the Builder, while Nob, although less prevalent, appears in expressions like "nobility" or as a playful insult.
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Comparison Chart
Origin
Shortened form of Robert
17th-century English slang
Meaning
Bright fame
Important person, high status
Usage Context
Casual, professional
Informal, often humorous
Social Connotations
Approachable, everyman
Exclusive, sometimes arrogant
Cultural Presence
Popular culture references
Less common, niche usage
Compare with Definitions
Bob
To move up and down.
The boat bobbed on the waves.
Nob
A term used humorously to describe an important person.
Here comes the nob of the company.
Bob
A weighted line used in measuring water depth.
He used a bob to check the river's depth.
Nob
A term for a person of high status.
He mingled with the nobs at the gala.
Bob
A nickname for Robert.
Bob is my uncle's name.
Nob
A term for a wealthy or influential person.
The local nobs were invited to the opening.
Bob
A short haircut.
She got a bob for the summer.
Nob
Slang for head.
Watch your nob on that low doorway.
Bob
A pendulum in a clock.
The grandfather clock's bob swung back and forth.
Nob
A small hill or promontory.
We picnicked on the old nob overlooking the village.
Bob
To move up and down
A cork bobbing on the water.
Nob
A person of wealth or high social position
It was quite a do—all the nobs were there
Bob
To grab at floating or hanging objects with the teeth
Bobbed for apples.
Nob
A person's head.
Bob
To fish with a bobber.
Nob
(Slang) The human head.
Bob
To curtsy or bow.
Nob
The jack of the same suit as the card turned up by the dealer in cribbage, scoring one point for the holder.
Bob
To cause to move up and down
Bobbed my head in response to the question.
Nob
A person of wealth or social standing
"The nobs were forever snubbing the snobs" (Conor Cruise O'Brien).
Bob
To cut short or reshape
Bobbed her hair.
Had his nose bobbed.
Nob
The head.
Jack and Jill went up the hill / to fetch a pail of water; / Jack fell down and broke his crown / and Jill came tumbling after. / Up Jack got and home did trot, / as fast as he could caper, / to old Dame Dob / to mend his nob / with vinegar and brown paper.
Bob
A quick, jerky movement of the head or body.
Nob
(cribbage) A jack of the same suit as the card turned up by the dealer. (See also nibs.)
One for his nob.
Bob
A bobber used in fishing.
Nob
A contemptible person; dick. Also spelled knob.
Bob
A small, knoblike pendent object, such as a plumb bob.
Nob
A wealthy or influential person; a toff.
Bob
A small lock or curl of hair.
Nob
(informal) To hit in the head
Bob
A haircut that hangs evenly above the shoulders, often around the chin, worn especially by women or children.
Nob
The head.
Bob
(Informal) Surgical shortening or reshaping of the nose.
Nob
A person in a superior position in life; a nobleman.
Bob
The docked tail of a horse.
Nob
An elegantly dressed man (often with affected manners)
Bob
A bobsled.
Bob
A bob skate.
Bob
A shilling.
Bob
(intransitive) To move gently and vertically, in either a single motion or repeatedly up and down, at or near the surface of a body of water, or similar medium.
The cork bobbed gently in the calm water.
The ball, which we had thought lost, suddenly bobbed up out of the water.
The flowers were bobbing in the wind.
Bob
(transitive) To move (something) as though it were bobbing in water.
I bobbed my head underwater and saw the goldfish.
Bob one's head (= to nod)
Bob
To curtsy.
Bob
To strike with a quick, light blow; to tap.
Bob
(intransitive) blob
Bob
(transitive) To cut (hair) into a bob haircut.
I got my hair bobbed. How do you like it?
Bob
(transitive) To shorten by cutting; to dock; to crop.
Bob
To bobsleigh.
Bob
A bobbing motion; a quick up and down movement.
A bob of the head
Bob
A curtsy.
Bob
A bobber buoyant fishing device.
Bob
Any of various hesperiid butterflies.
Bob
A bob haircut.
Bob
Any round object attached loosely to a flexible line, a rod, a body part etc., so that it may swing when hanging from it.
Bob
The dangling mass of a pendulum or plumb line.
Bob
The docked tail of a horse.
Bob
A short line ending a stanza of a poem.
Bob
The short runner of a sled.
Bob
A bobsleigh.
Bob
A small wheel, made of leather, with rounded edges, used in polishing spoons, etc.
Bob
A working beam in a steam engine.
Bob
A particular style of ringing changes on bells.
Bob
A blow; a shake or jog; a rap, as with the fist.
Bob
(obsolete) A knot or short curl of hair; also, a bob wig.
Bob
(obsolete) The refrain of a song.
Bob
(obsolete) A jeer; a sharp jest or taunt.
Bob
A shilling.
Bob
A 10-cent coin.
Bob
(slang) An unspecified amount of money.
I could have saved myself a few bob buying it somewhere else.
Bob
A graphical element, resembling a hardware sprite, that can be blitted around the screen in large numbers.
Bob
Anything that hangs so as to play loosely, or with a short abrupt motion, as at the end of a string; a pendant; as, the bob at the end of a kite's tail.
In jewels dressed and at each ear a bob.
Bob
A knot of worms, or of rags, on a string, used in angling, as for eels; formerly, a worm suitable for bait.
Or yellow bobs, turned up before the plow,Are chiefest baits, with cork and lead enow.
Bob
A small piece of cork or light wood attached to a fishing line to show when a fish is biting; a float.
Bob
The ball or heavy part of a pendulum; also, the ball or weight at the end of a plumb line.
Bob
A small wheel, made of leather, with rounded edges, used in polishing spoons, etc.
Bob
A short, jerking motion; act of bobbing; as, a bob of the head.
Bob
A working beam.
Bob
A knot or short curl of hair; also, a bob wig.
A plain brown bob he wore.
Bob
A peculiar mode of ringing changes on bells.
Bob
The refrain of a song.
To bed, to bed, will be the bob of the song.
Bob
A blow; a shake or jog; a rap, as with the fist.
Bob
A jeer or flout; a sharp jest or taunt; a trick.
He that a fool doth very wisely hit,Doth very foolishly, although he smart,Not to seem senseless of the bob.
Bob
A shilling.
Bob
To cause to move in a short, jerking manner; to move (a thing) with a bob.
Bob
To strike with a quick, light blow; to tap.
If any man happened by long sitting to sleep . . . he was suddenly bobbed on the face by the servants.
Bob
To cheat; to gain by fraud or cheating; to filch.
Gold and jewels that I bobbed from him.
Bob
To mock or delude; to cheat.
To play her pranks, and bob the fool,The shrewish wife began.
Bob
To cut short; as, to bob the hair, or a horse's tail.
Bob
To have a short, jerking motion; to play to and fro, or up and down; to play loosely against anything.
Bob
A former monetary unit in Great Britain
Bob
A hair style for women and children; a short haircut all around
Bob
A long racing sled (for 2 or more people) with a steering mechanism
Bob
A hanging weight, especially a metal ball on a string
Bob
A small float usually made of cork; attached to a fishing line
Bob
A short or shortened tail of certain animals
Bob
A short abrupt inclination (as of the head);
He gave me a short bob of acknowledgement
Bob
Move up and down repeatedly;
Her rucksack bobbed gently on her back
Bob
Ride a bobsled;
The boys bobbed down the hill screaming with pleasure
Bob
Remove or shorten the tail of an animal
Bob
Make a curtsy; usually done only by girls and women; as a sign of respect;
She curtsied when she shook the Queen's hand
Bob
Cut hair in the style of a bob;
Bernice bobs her hair these days!
Common Curiosities
What is the full name that Bob is typically short for?
Robert.
What are common uses of "Bob"?
Bob is used as a nickname, a verb meaning to move up and down, and for other specific items like a type of haircut.
Where does "Nob" come from?
Nob originates from 17th-century English slang.
How is "Nob" used in a sentence?
Often to denote a person of importance or mockingly about someone acting important.
Are there famous people named Bob?
Yes, including Bob Dylan and Bob Marley.
Can "Bob" be used for females?
Yes, especially in the context of a bob haircut.
Is "Nob" a derogatory term?
It can be, depending on context, but it's often used humorously.
What are examples of "Nob" being used in historical contexts?
It was used to describe nobility or the upper classes in past centuries.
Can "Nob" refer to anything other than a person?
Yes, it can also refer to a hill or promontory.
How do people react to the nickname "Bob"?
It is generally well-received and considered friendly.
Is "Bob" formal or informal?
It is informal.
How often is "Nob" used in everyday language?
It is less common and more colloquial.
What does "Nob" imply about social status?
It implies high social status or perceived importance.
Does "Bob" have variations in other languages?
Yes, such as Roberto in Spanish or Italian.
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Written by
Maham Liaqat
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
