Frob

Origin

It was adopted by the community of computer programmers which grew out of the MIT Tech Model Railroad Club in the 1950s, and allegedly among the oldest existing words in hacker jargon.

Full definition of frob

Noun

1. (jargon, MIT) Any small device or object (usually hand-sized) which can be manipulated.Hand me that frob there, will you?

Verb

1. (jargon, MIT) To manipulate objects considered to be frobs.Hey, frob the switch.
2. (jargon, MIT) To manipulate equipment without anyknowledge.Hey! Stop frobbing that oscilloscope! You'll break it.

Related terms

• frobnicate
• frobnitz
• tweak
• twiddle