Hobby Definition

hŏbē
hobbies
noun
hobbies
An activity or interest pursued outside one's regular occupation and engaged in primarily for pleasure.
American Heritage
A medium-sized, vigorous horse.
Webster's New World
Webster's New World
Something that one likes to do or study in one's spare time; favorite pastime or avocation.
Webster's New World
A small European falcon (Falco subbuteo), formerly trained for hawking.
Webster's New World
Antonyms:
pronoun

An English surname​.

Wiktionary
idiom
ride a hobby
  • to be excessively devoted to one's favorite pastime or subject
Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Hobby

Noun

Singular:
hobby
Plural:
hobbies

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Hobby

Origin of Hobby

  • Shortened from hobby-horse, from Middle English hoby, hobyn, hobin (“small horse, pony”), from Old French hobi, *haubi, haubby, hobin ("a nag, hobby"; > Modern French aubin, Italian ubino), of Germanic origin: from Old French hober, ober (“to stir, move”), from Old Dutch hobben (“to toss, move up and down”); or from North Germanic origin related to Danish hoppe (“a mare”), Old Swedish hoppa (“a young mare”), North Frisian hoppe (“horse”); both ultimately from Proto-Germanic *huppōną (“to hop”), from Proto-Indo-European *kewb- (“to bend; a bend, joint”). More at hop, hobble.

    From Wiktionary

  • The meaning of hobby-horse shifted from "small horse, pony" to "child's toy riding horse" to "favorite pastime or avocation" with the connecting notion being "activity that doesn't go anywhere". Possibly originally from a proper name for a horse, a diminutive of Robert or Robin (compare dobbin).

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English hobi, hobyn small horse, hobby horse perhaps from Hobin, Hobby nickname for Robert

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From Old French hobet, from Medieval Latin hobētus, diminutive of hobe.

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English hobi from Old French hobe, hobel

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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