throbber
English
Etymology
In sense 1, after version 1.0 of the Netscape web browser, which used an animation of its logo (a big blue N) expanding and contracting, as in a throb.[1]
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈθɹɒ.bə/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈθɹɑ.bəɹ/
Audio (General Australian): (file) - Rhymes: -ɒbə(ɹ)
- Hyphenation: throb‧ber
Noun
throbber (plural throbbers)
- (graphical user interface) A widget consisting of a static image that animates during execution of a task.
- (slang) An erect penis.
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:erect penis
- Hypernyms: see Thesaurus:penis
- 1977, John Ironstone, Orphan, page 102:
- One look at that lifeguard's prong gave me a throbber like a baseball bat — not quite that big, of course, but at least that hard!
- 2009, Peter Hodgson, Critical Murder, page 128:
- She could feel his throbber pressing into her womanhood.
- (slang) A term of abuse.
- 2017, Richard Gorman, Horizons:
- "A d14? Are you mad? Why not just use a pack of cards Gorman you throbber?"
- 2019, Jack Leavers, Appetite for Risk:
- 'Fuck. I didn't know that. I'll throw you a few coins when I see you under the bridge.'
'Cheers Royal, you throbber. That's if I even make it back. The taxi rides between Amman and Baghdad last time were ... entertaining. Not really looking forward to it all again next week. Baghdad had its moments an' all.'
References
- ^ Steve Kowalski (9 September 2022), “Spinning Wheel”, in Kowalski Heat Treating[1], archived from the original on 9 September 2022: “Netscape, which soon overtook Mosaic as the market-leading web browser, featured a throbber. In version 1.0 of Netscape, this took the form of a big blue “N” (Netscape’s logo at the time). The animation depicted the “N” expanding and contracting – hence the name “throbber” (now you know!!).”