1
2
: a short strap, ribbon, or chain attached especially to a pocket watch
3
: an ornament attached to a fob chain
4
or key fob
: an object attached to a key chain or key ring
especially
: a small electronic device used typically in place of a key (as to unlock a door or start a vehicle) or to remotely initiate the action of another device (such as a garage door)
Wireless systems are triggered by pressing a button on a remote fob much like those used for car alarms. —
Max Alexander
Max Alexander The remote-start key fob has a range of several hundred feet, allowing you to start the car's engine from inside your home. —Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports Examples of fob in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Glenn Garner, Deadline, 22 Nov. 2024
The devices — which officials say are used legitimately by locksmiths and those working at dealerships to program a blank key for an owner who lost their key fob — now are being used by people and groups stealing vehicles by programming key codes for unauthorized access, literally within seconds.
—Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 19 Nov. 2024
Eren Orbey, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023
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Noun
Nathan Lane and Tituss Burgess also provide some laughs in the form of the Oracles of the Sun and Moon, an eccentric set of roommates who travel around in a giant frog’s mouth and use a magical fob in place of a wand.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 22 Nov. 2024
The devices — which officials say are used legitimately by locksmiths and those working at dealerships to program a blank key for an owner who lost their key fob — now are being used by people and groups stealing vehicles by programming key codes for unauthorized access, literally within seconds.
—Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 19 Nov. 2024
Verb
My mom fobbed me off with wistful trips around the city.
—Eren Orbey, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023
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Cite this Entry
“Fob.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fob. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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