frob Meaning & Definition
What Does Frob Mean?
Frob is used as a noun meaning Any small device or object (usually hand-sized) which can be manipulated. As a verb, it means To manipulate in some ill-defined way; to tweak or mess about with.
Quick Facts About Frob
| Part of speech | noun, verb |
|---|---|
| Plural | frobs |
| Verb forms | frobs, frobbing, frobbed |
Frob Definition (Noun)
- Any small device or object (usually hand-sized) which can be manipulated.
Hand me that frob there, will you?
Frob as a Verb
- To manipulate in some ill-defined way; to tweak or mess about with.
- To perform a task that is clear to the speaker but too complex or tedious to be explained, so that outside help is not helpful.
Why don't you go get lunch? I need to frob with this thing for about 30 minutes and then we'll be good to go.
- To transform and obscure in a trivial fashion with memfrob(3).
Synonyms of Frob
The source does not list synonyms for this entry.
Frob synonyms and antonyms →Antonyms of Frob
No antonyms or near antonyms are listed by the available sources for this entry.
Frob in a Sentence
Hand me that frob there, will you?
Why don't you go get lunch? I need to frob with this thing for about 30 minutes and then we'll be good to go.
Word Forms & Grammar
frob (plural frobs)
frob (third-person singular simple present frobs, present participle frobbing, simple past and past participle frobbed)
Origin of Frob
Clipping of frobnicate, from frobnitz, coined circa 1958 by David R. Sawyer of the MIT Tech Model Railroad Club (TMRC).[1] Year of origin uncertain, and could be 1958–1981: frob is not listed in the TMRC dictionaries of 1959 or 1960,[2] and is first listed in the Jargon File (1981 edition), so it may date from the 1960s or 1970s. Possibly variant of or influenced by frotsus (“a protruding arm or trunnion”), which is listed in TMRC 1959 and 1960.
Frequently Asked Questions About Frob
Is frob a noun or a verb?
Frob is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb.
What is the plural of frob?
The plural of frob is frobs.
What is the past tense of frob?
The past tense of frob is frobbed. The present participle is frobbing.