lobe

IPA/ləʊb/
KK[lˈob]IPA/ləʊb/

lobe — noun

  • lobesingular
  • lobesplural

1. a rounded section of an internal organ, such as the brain, a lung, or the liver,

1.nounB2
Definition

a rounded section of an internal organ, such as the brain, a lung, or the liver, that is naturally separated from surrounding tissue by a visible groove or line

Example

The tumour was located in the frontal lobe of Indra's brain.

adjective + lobe: frontal lobe (brain anatomy)

Padma's doctor explained that both lungs have an upper and a lower lobe.

lobe + of: upper/lower lobe of the lung

Common collocations
  • frontal lobe
  • temporal lobe
  • parietal lobe
  • occipital lobe
  • upper lobe
  • lower lobe
  • middle lobe
  • left lobe
  • right lobe
  • lobe of the lung
  • lobe of the liver
  • lobe of the brain
Synonyms
  • section

    more general; a section can be arbitrary, while a lobe is a naturally occurring division

  • segment

    implies a natural division like a lobe, but usually in a linear arrangement

  • division

    more formal and neutral; does not imply a rounded shape

Grammar Patterns

adjective + lobe

lobe + of + [body part]

Usage Note

In medical writing, 'lobe' is usually paired with a positional adjective (frontal, temporal, occipital for the brain; upper, lower, middle for the lungs) or with 'of' naming the organ.

Common Mistakes

The cancer spread to another lobe.
The cancer spread to another lobe of the lung.
In medical contexts, always specify which organ the lobe belongs to unless it is already clear from earlier discussion.
He has a damaged lobe in his brain.
He has a damaged area in the frontal lobe of his brain.
'Lobe' is a normal anatomical division, not an abnormality; describe the problem separately from the location.

2. the soft, rounded lower part of the outer ear

2.nounB1
Definition

the soft, rounded lower part of the outer ear

Example

Tamar wore a small silver ring in each of her earlobes.

earlobe + earring/piercing context

Brandon gently rubbed his earlobe while he thought about the difficult question.

Common collocations
  • pierced earlobe
  • swollen earlobe
  • earlobe ring
  • earlobe crease
  • left earlobe
  • right earlobe
Synonyms
  • earlobe

    the standard term; 'lobe' alone is a shortened form used mostly in medical records

Grammar Patterns

earlobe

possessive + earlobe

adjective + earlobe

Usage Note

In everyday English, 'earlobe' is far more common than 'lobe' alone when referring to the ear. Using just 'lobe' for the ear part sounds unnatural outside of medical shorthand.

Common Mistakes

She pierced her lobes.
She pierced her earlobes.
'Lobe' alone is unclear; always use 'earlobe' for the ear part.
My lobe is red and sore.
My earlobe is red and sore.
Same reason; 'earlobe' is the natural word in everyday speech.

3. a projecting segment of a leaf that pushes outward from the centre, with a visib

3.nounC1
Definition

a projecting segment of a leaf that pushes outward from the centre, with a visible gap between it and the next segment

Example

The large oak leaf has several rounded lobes along its dark green edges.

rounded lobes — describing leaf shape

Feng pointed out the deep spaces between the lobes of the maple leaf.

Common collocations
  • rounded lobe
  • pointed lobe
  • deep lobe
  • shallow lobe
  • lobed leaf
  • leaf lobe
Synonyms
  • segment

    a more general term for any part of a leaf, not only the outward-projecting parts

  • projection

    emphasises the outward extension; less technical than 'lobe'

Grammar Patterns

lobe + of + [leaf type]

number + lobe(s)

adjective + lobe

Usage Note

This sense belongs to botany. It describes a specific leaf shape category — 'lobed leaves' — where the leaf edge has deep, rounded or pointed projections separated by clefts or sinuses.

Common Mistakes

The leaf has a lobe.
The leaf has several lobes.
Leaves of lobed plants (oaks, maples, ivies) typically have multiple lobes, not just one.
The lobe of the leaf is sharp.
The lobes of the oak leaf are rounded, but the lobes of a maple leaf are pointed.
The shape of the lobes varies by plant species; be specific about which plant you are describing.

Word family

  • lobed
    adjectiveC1
  • lobar
    adjectiveC1
  • lobular
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A lobe is a rounded part of an organ that is naturally separated from the surrounding tissue by a visible groove or line. Section is the most general word of the three — any piece of anything can be a section, whether naturally divided or cut artificially. Segment implies a natural division like a lobe does, but segments are typically arranged in a repeating linear pattern, like the segments of a citrus fruit. Division is the most formal term and simply means the result of cutting or separating something; it does not carry the idea of a rounded shape that lobe does. For example, a doctor would say 'the frontal lobe of the brain' and not 'the frontal section of the brain'. A biologist would describe 'segments of a worm' but 'lobes of the liver'. When you need a word that specifically names a naturally rounded anatomical subdivision, lobe is the right choice.

section ↗segment ↗division ↗

Common collocations

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'lobe' traces back to the Greek word 'lobos', which meant the rounded, fleshy part of the ear. Latin borrowed it as 'lobus', and it passed through French before entering English in the 1500s. The meaning first applied to the earlobe, then expanded in the 1600s to describe rounded divisions of internal organs and, later, parts of leaves.