cob2 (kob)

[Early examples of the senses here grouped are few, and their history and relations are obscure. They appear to be in part particular uses of cobl as a var. of cop1, head, and in part due to cub2, a lump, heap, a confused ma , orig. a var. of chub, q. v., the general notion being that of a roundish lump'; cf. cobble1, cobblestone. Cf. W.cob, a tuft, var. of cop, a tuft, top; W. cob, the thumb. With cob2, 5, 6, as applied to a fish, cf. Icel. kobbi, a popular name for köpr, a young seal. The senses last given may be of other origin. Cf. cobl, cob3, cob4.] 1. A roundish lump. Specifically-(a) A nut; a cobnut (which see). (b) A kernel or stone (of fruit, etc.): as, a cherry- cob. (c) A roundish loaf; a cob-loaf (which see). (d) A ball or pellet of food for fowls. (e) pl. The testicles; the cods. [Prov. Eng.] 2. A small haystack; a haycock. [Prov. Eng.] -3. An ear of wheat. See cob - poke.-4. The cylindrical shoot or receptacle, in the form of a spike, on which the grains of maize or Indian corn grow in rows; a corn-cob (which see). [U. S.] In the year 1683 the house of Nicholas Des borough, at Hartford, was very strangely molested by stones, by pieces of earth, by cobs of Indian corn, and other such things from an invisible hand, thrown at him. C. Mather, Mag. Chris., vi. 7. 5. A young herring. Why not the ghost of a herring cob , as well as the ghost of Rasher Bacon? B. Jonson, Every Man in his Humour, i. 3. 6. A fish, the bullhead or miller's-thumb. Zedola [It.], a gudgeon or a cob . Florio , cob 7. The common clam, Mya arenaria. [Prov. Eng.]-8. A Spanish dollar: a name formerly in use in Ireland, and still at Gibraltar. He then drew out a large leathern bag, and poured out the contents, which were silver cobs , upon the table. T. Sheridan , Swift. 9. A compost of puddled clay and straw, or of straw, lime, and earth. The poor cottager content eth himself with cob for his R. Carew, Survey of Cornwall, fol. 53. walls. 10. In coal - mining, a small solid pillar of coal left in a waste as a support for the roof. Gresley. [Derby shire, Eng.]-11. Clover-seed. [Prov. Eng.]