lob1

[lob] /lɒb/
verb (used with object), lobbed, lobbing.
1.
Tennis. to hit (a ball) in a high arc to the back of the opponent's court.
2.
to fire (a missile, as a shell) in a high trajectory so that it drops onto a target.
3.
Cricket. to bowl (the ball) with a slow underhand motion.
4.
to throw (something) slowly in an arc.
verb (used without object), lobbed, lobbing.
5.
Tennis. to lob a ball.
noun
6.
Tennis. a ball hit in a high arc to the back of the opponent's court.
7.
Cricket. a ball bowled with a slow underhand motion.
8.
British Dialect. a slow, heavy, dull-witted person.
Origin
1325-75; in earlier sense, to behave like a lob (Middle English lobbe, lob bumpkin, clumsy person, orig. pollack; Old English: spider; basic sense, something pendulous); cognate with Middle Low German, Middle Dutch lobbe dangling part, stockfish, etc.
Related forms
lobber, noun

lob2

[lob] /lɒb/
noun
1.
lobworm.
Examples from the web for lob
  • If lob is a conversational game, slam is a cutthroat one.
  • The cup setup for slam tends to exhibit far less variation than for lob.
British Dictionary definitions for lob

lob1

/lɒb/
noun
1.
a ball struck in a high arc
2.
(cricket) a ball bowled in a slow high arc
verb lobs, lobbing, lobbed
3.
to hit or kick (a ball) in a high arc
4.
(informal) to throw, esp in a high arc
Word Origin
C14: probably of Low German origin, originally in the sense: something dangling; compare Middle Low German lobbe hanging lower lip, Old English loppe spider

lob2

/lɒb/
noun
1.
short for lobworm
Word Origin
C17 (in the sense: pendulous object): related to lob1
Word Origin and History for lob
v.

"send up in a slow, high arc," 1824 (implied in lobbing), but the word existed 16c. in various senses suggesting heavy, pendant, or floppy things, and probably is ultimately from an unrecorded Old English word; cf. East Frisian lobbe "hanging lump of flesh," Dutch lob "hanging lip, ruffle, hanging sleeve," Danish lobbes "clown, bumpkin." Related: Lobbed; lobbing. The noun in this sense is from 1875, from the verb.

n.

a word of widespread application to lumpish things, probably in Old English. Cf. Middle Dutch, Middle Low German lobbe, Old Norse lubba. From late 13c. as a surname; meaning "pollack" is from early 14c.; that of "lazy lout" is from late 14c.