Blobs

Blobs is a term with multiple meanings across disciplines. In everyday language, a blob is a shapeless lump or drop of a viscous substance. In biology, it is informally used for amorphous, flowing organisms such as slime molds; some species can assume irregular, moving masses as they grow and explore their environment.

In computing, a BLOB stands for Binary Large Object, a data type used to store binary data such as images, audio, or video in databases. BLOBs are stored as opaque byte sequences and are typically not human-readable. They may reside inside the database or be referenced externally; retrieval often relies on binary input/output rather than text processing. Many systems impose size limits or require special handling; cloud services frequently provide blob storage as a scalable option for unstructured data.

In computer graphics and visualization, "blobs" describe metaballs or soft-body models—collections of simple shapes whose fields merge to form smooth, organic silhouettes. This technique supports fluid effects and dynamic morphing of objects.

In cloud and enterprise storage, blob storage refers to services designed to store unstructured binary data as discrete objects with metadata and access controls. Major platforms offer blob storage for large media libraries, backups, and archival data.

In popular culture, The Blob is a 1958 science-fiction film about a prototypical amorphous blob that expands as it consumes matter.