What does dob mean?
Dob is an informal verb used chiefly in British, Australian, and New Zealand English meaning to inform on someone — that is, to report their misdeeds to a person in authority such as the police, a teacher, or an employer. It most often appears in the phrasal form 'dob someone in', as in 'he dobbed in his colleague for stealing stock'. By extension it can mean to identify or name someone as the culprit in a situation. The word carries distinctly negative connotations: in cultures where loyalty to peers is prized, the informer — the 'dobber' — is viewed with contempt rather than respect, so accusing someone of dobbing is a serious charge. The term is conversational rather than formal and would be out of place in official writing. Its origin is uncertain, though it emerged in twentieth-century British slang before becoming especially entrenched in Australasia.
To inform on someone or report them to an authority; to identify someone as responsible for wrongdoing.
"Nobody was willing to dob on the ringleader."
Usually appears as 'dob someone in' in British usage; in Australian English 'dob on' and bare 'dob' are also common.
An act of informing on someone; occasionally, an informer (more usually 'dobber' or 'dob-in').
"The whole team knew the tip-off had come from a dob inside the firm."
Less common than the verb.
Rare; the verb sense dominates, and the plural noun is infrequent outside informal speech.
"He'd lost count of the dobs he'd made to management over the years."
In Australia, being called a 'dobber' — an informer — is one of the sharpest insults going, and 'dob in your mates' has been the stuff of national debate ever since.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dob
The origins of 'dob' are obscure; lexicographers have not established a definitive source. It arose in British slang during the first half of the twentieth century and subsequently became particularly widespread in Australian and New Zealand English. Related forms include the noun 'dobber' for an informer and the phrasal noun 'dob-in'. No confident cognates in other languages are recorded.
Related word forms
How dob is actually used
Informal and often derogatory. Strongly associated with British and especially Australian and New Zealand English, where 'dobbing' carries strong social disapproval — informing is widely seen as a betrayal of mateship. The construction 'dob someone in' is far more common than bare 'dob'.
Easily confused with dob
A dab is a light touch or small amount of something (or a flatfish), whereas dob means to inform on someone.