Cob
/kɒb/noun
A rounded lump or rounded mass; also a type of male swan, a short sturdy horse, or a maize ear in some dialects.
Did you know?The word’s core sense is basically “lump” or “rounded mass,” and its many later meanings grew from that blunt old physical idea rather than from any single modern source.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
cobbe
“a lump, boss, or rounded mass”
Middle English
ME
cobbe
“a rounded piece or lump; later also a male swan in some dialects”
14th Century
English
cob
“a short, sturdy horse; also a rounded object or mass”
Modern English
English
cob
“various senses including a rounded lump, a male swan, a short horse, or a maize ear in dialect use”