What does lob mean?
A lob is a rounded mass or lump, often of a soft or substantial substance such as foam, fat, or dough. It can also refer to a large round fish. As a verb, lob means to throw something, especially a ball, in a high or gently arcing trajectory. The expression is especially common in sport, where a lobbed ball is sent over another player, over a net, or high into the air. The noun also has a slightly playful or informal quality, which makes it vivid when describing an unusually large rounded portion of something. Although 'mass' and 'lump' are more neutral alternatives for the noun, and 'throw' or 'toss' are more general alternatives for the verb, 'lob' adds a distinctive suggestion of bulk, shape, or arcing movement.
A large, rounded mass or lump, especially of a soft substance; also a round or oval marine fish.
"A large lob of foam rose from the sea beside the boat."
The fish sense is uncommon and may sound marked or regional.
To throw something high or in a long, usually gentle arc.
"He lobbed the ball into the air and moved toward the net."
Informal; especially common in descriptions of sport and games.
The plural is used for individual rounded masses or lumps; the fish sense is also regular.
"Several large lobs of foam rolled toward the shore."
A lob is both a rounded mass and the graceful, high arc of a thrown ball—one word, two very different ways of moving through the world.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does lob come from?
The precise origin of the English word 'lob' is uncertain. The noun and verb were established in English by the early modern period, with the verb initially associated with throwing or projecting an object. The separate sense referring to a rounded mass developed from the word's broader associations with a rounded or hanging form, while the fish sense belongs to an older and less common strand of English vocabulary.
Related word forms
How lob is actually used
The noun is natural in British and American English but is less common than the general words 'lump' or 'mass.' The verb is informal and commonly describes throwing a ball or other object in a high, gentle arc, especially in sport.
Easily confused with lob
A lob is a rounded mass or a throw in an arc, whereas a lobe is a distinct curved part of a larger structure, such as an organ.