BOBBY
What does "BOBBY" mean?
An informal British term for a police officer.
Meanings
- A British police officer, especially one on foot patrol. A friendly bobby pointed us toward the station. informal
- A small flat hairpin that grips the hair, as in 'bobby pin'. She fixed the stray lock with a bobby pin.
Did you know?
- British police are called 'bobbies' after Sir Robert Peel, who founded London's Metropolitan Police in 1829 - 'Bobby' being the pet form of Robert, just as the older nickname 'peeler' came from his surname.
Word origin
Named after Sir Robert Peel, who founded London's Metropolitan Police in 1829; 'Bobby' is the familiar nickname for Robert, and his officers were also called 'peelers'.
Remember it
BOBBY = Bob from Robert; Sir Robert Peel's officers became the bobbies of British streets.
A little poem
A name for Robert pinned upon a beat -
the founder's whisper walking every street.
couplet
Wordplay
- The British officer and the hairpin are both called bobby - one keeps the peace, the other keeps your hair in place.
What it teaches
A good idea can outlive its author by becoming the everyday word people forget to question.
Quick facts
What does BOBBY mean?
An informal British term for a police officer.
Is BOBBY a valid word?
Yes — BOBBY is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is BOBBY?
BOBBY has 5 letters and 2 syllables.
Where does BOBBY come from?
Named after Sir Robert Peel, who founded London's Metropolitan Police in 1829; 'Bobby' is the familiar nickname for Robert, and his officers were also called 'peelers'.
What can BOBBY teach us?
A good idea can outlive its author by becoming the everyday word people forget to question.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.