Cob or cobb?
cob is a noun meaning “A corncob”; cobb is a noun meaning “A sea-cob or gull”. In written English (wordfreq, 2021 data) cobb is about 2.9 times as common as cob.
What is the difference between cob and cobb?
| cob | cobb | |
|---|---|---|
| Part of speech | noun, verb | noun |
| Meaning | A corncob The seed-bearing head of a plant To construct using mud blocks or to seal a wall using mud or an artificial equivalent | A sea-cob or gull A pier made from cobblestones |
| Example | The grains, each of which is about the bulk of the largest marrowfat pea, are placed all round a stalk, which goes up the middle, and this… | none recorded |
| Forms | cobs | cobbs |
| Pronunciation | /kɑb/ /kɒb/ | /kɒb/ |
| In writing | 1.1 times per million words | 3.2 times per million words |
Sources: cob and cobb in the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
Every current meaning of cob and cobb
cob
- 1
A corncob
The grains, each of which is about the bulk of the largest marrowfat pea, are placed all round a stalk, which goes up the middle, and this little stalk, to which the seeds adhere…
- 2
To construct using mud blocks or to seal a wall using mud or an artificial equivalent
- 3
To beat with a flat instrument; to paddle
[…] he pulled off his hat, and said he was going to cob him for breaking the rules and laws of the ship’s company
- 4
A punishment consisting of blows inflicted on the buttocks with a strap or a flat piece of wood
- 5
Abbreviation of cobble
List and short characteristics of sampling sites (br = bedrock, cob = cobble, gra = gravel, peb = pebble, sa = sand)
- 6
Of an animal: to nibble at their skin with their front teeth
- 7
USInitialism of contingency operating base
- 8
Initialism of centre of buoyancy
cobb
- 1
A sea-cob or gull
- 2
A pier made from cobblestones
- 3
A hand-basket, especially made from wicker
- 4
A building material consisting of clay, sand, straw, water, and earth, similar to adobe. Also called cob, rammed earth or pisé
- 5
USA knock or blow
- 6
Alternative form of cob (“person of mixed (black and white) race”)
Source: the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); obsolete, archaic, dialect and rare senses left out.
Which is more common, cob or cobb?
cob appears 1.1 times per million words; cobb 3.2 times per million words.
cob 1.1 times per million wordscobb 3.2 times per million words
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).