toby

The word “toby” means a drinking mug shaped like a seated man wearing a hat, also called a Toby jug. In plain terms, most familiar as a short form of the name Tobias; also a decorative drinking mug and, in British plumbing, the street-side water shutoff valve.

“Toby” is pronounced TOH-bee (/ˈtoʊbi/ in IPA).

Here is “toby” used in a sentence: “The antique shop had a shelf full of Toby jugs.”

Depending on how it is used, “toby” can be a noun and a name.

The word “toby” comes from Middle English. A Middle English pet form of the name Tobias.

“Toby” is an uncommon word in modern English.

“Toby” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a drinking mug shaped like a seated man wearing a hat, also called a Toby jug.

A Toby jug is a drinking mug shaped like a seated man wearing a hat, a traditional form of pottery collectible with roots in English ceramic history. The design typically depicts a jovial, portly figure holding a mug or pipe.

A toby is a stop valve that controls the connection between the public water main and a building's own plumbing, often located underground near the property boundary. It functions similarly to an indoor stopcock but specifically controls the supply point where a property connects to the main line.

Toby has several distinct meanings: it's a common short form of the given name Tobias, but it's also the name for a seated-man drinking mug (Toby jug) and, in plumbing, a stop valve controlling a building's water supply from the main.