English word origin

Etymology of mob

From Middle English mob, short for mobile, from Latin mōbile (vulgus) (“fickle (crowd)”).

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 3 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

A large or disorderly group of people; especially one bent on riotous or destructive action. · The lower classes of a community; the rabble. · A group of animals of any kind. · A group of kangaroos.

verb

To crowd around (someone), sometimes with hostility. · To crowd into or around a place.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English mob, short for mobile, from Latin mōbile (vulgus) (“fickle (crowd)”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentionmobenm
Derivation mentionmobilela

This page abbreviates 4 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "1": "en",
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        "3": "mob"
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      "expansion": "Middle English mob"
    },
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        "2": "la",
        "3": "mobile",
        "4": "mōbile (vulgus)",
        "5": "fickle (crowd)"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin mōbile (vulgus) (“fickle (crowd)”)"
    }
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      "mob",
      "mob#Middle_English"
    ],
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      "mobile#Middle_English"
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      "mobile#Latin"
    ]
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        "The lower classes of a community; the rabble.",
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

verb

To wrap up in, or cover with, a cowl.

noun

A promiscuous woman; a harlot or wench; a prostitute. · A mob cap.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Alteration of mab.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

noun

Abbreviation of mobile phone. · A creature or non-player character, especially one meant to be fought or killed. · A background character in general.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Clipping of mobile. The video-gaming sense is sometimes reported as an abbreviation of man or beast or of mobile object, but these are backronyms.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for mob →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-bW9i