mob
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Swift informs us, in his Art of Polite Conversation, that MOB was, in his time, the slang abbreviation of "mobility," just as NOB is of "nobility," at the present day. See SCHOOL.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “mob” mean?
Swift informs us, in his Art of Polite Conversation, that MOB was, in his time, the slang abbreviation of "mobility," just as NOB is of "nobility," at the present day. See SCHOOL.
Is “mob” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.