What does "bobby" mean?
A police officer.
Bobby
/ˈbɒbi/ name, noun, slang
name, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A police officer.
- Grammar: bobby is listed as name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: beak, beaks, bluebottle, bluecoat.
- Useful contrasts: civilian, criminal.
- Usage evidence: Bobby McFerrin and Yo-yo Ma played some famous duets.
How to use "bobby"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "bobby" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "bobby" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "bobby" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "bobby" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "bobby" is acting as name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "beak" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "bobby", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A police officer. Australia, British, Ireland, slang
"If I am wrong, and if Lessingham’s wrong, how do you explain his extraordinary insistence on taking it inside the cab with him, which the bobby describes?"
- 2 A penis. Scotland, slang
- 3 an informal term for a British policeman wordnet
- 4 A railway signaller. Australia, British, Ireland, slang
- 5 Cocaine. Multicultural-London-English
"Bro I’m booky, I’ll take your food if my belly starts rumblin They rap about bootings, they ain’t blammed nobody Hold that properly when I bang that dotty I put sniff in a rex, and I slang that bobby"
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A calf that is slaughtered in its first month, usually because it has no mother or because it is undersized or otherwise defective.
"The already low proportion of Friesian and Hereford Friesian cross calves sold as bobbies declined to almost insignificant proportions and there was a very steep drop in the proportion of bobby calves in the other breeds"
- 7 A banana that is extra small in size.
"My kids like bobby bananas, but they're in plastic."
Proper Noun
- 1 A diminutive of the male given name Robert.
"It was a real irritation to Robert's parents to hear Adeline call him Bobby. They tried to intimate their disapproval by pronouncing his name very distinctly when they addressed him."
- 2 A diminutive of the female given name Roberta.
Example
"Bobby McFerrin and Yo-yo Ma played some famous duets."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "bobby"?
Common synonyms include: beak, beaks, bluebottle, bluecoat, bob, bobbie.
How do you use "bobby" in a sentence?
Bobby McFerrin and Yo-yo Ma played some famous duets.
How do you pronounce "bobby"?
Pronounced /ˈbɒbi/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From the given name of Sir Robert Peel, who established London’s police force.
Etymology 2
From Bob + -y.