What does mob mean in Minecraft?

In the Minecraft community, players frequently refer to in-game creatures as mobs. The word mob is freely used by players to address these creatures, to the point where some might even forget or not know why it is used. While this word has a particular meaning in the English language, it doesn't mean the same in Minecraft. The word is a short form of two words.

Mobs in Minecraft is essentially a short form of mobile entities. Here is everything to know about its meaning.

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Everything to know about the meaning of mobs in Minecraft

What does a mob mean?

Mobs are entities in Minecraft that can move (Image via Mojang Studios)

As mentioned above, mobs are a short form for mobile entities. However, it is also a short form of other words like simply mobile and mobile objects. The proper definition of a mob in Minecraft is an entity that can move around on its own.

The short form technique is not only used in Minecraft but it is also used to refer to any non-player character (NPC) in any video game, since they too are mobile entities. Hence, any NPC in any game can also be referred to as a mob. These terms were first used in the late 90s and early 2000s, when video games, in general, were gaining popularity.

They have a simple artificial intelligence (AI) built into them that runs on a computer language and acts according to its surroundings. Each mobile entity has a different AI model, allowing them to move and act in different ways. Since these creatures are the only entities that move voluntarily, they are called mobs.

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More details on mobs

Each mob has a different AI model that allows them to act in a specific manner (Image via Mojang Studios)

Entities that are vulnerable to damage or attacks are also called mobs. In Minecraft, these entities can be attacked by players, tamed wolves, and even each other. They can also take damage by falling, void, fire, or lava.

As mentioned above, each mob has an AI model built into them. This model allows them to interact with the surrounding world, other mobs, and the player in a specific manner. Each of these variables can vary from mob to mob.

Each Minecraft mob has some form of drop (except bats). The drop can either be XP points, an item, or both.

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