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hobble

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Hobble is defined as to limp. walk or speak in an awkward way, or to cause some other person or animal to have trouble moving forward or walking.

(verb)

When you break your leg and you have to walk around with crutches and a full cast, this is an example of a time when you hobble.
When you make a mistake in making your speech, forget your notes and lose your place but you continue along awkwardly, this is an example of a time when you hobble along.
When you trip someone and they break their ankle, this is an example of a way to hobble someone.

The definition of a hobble is an awkward way of walking usually caused by restraint or injury, or a rope or shackle used to hold an animal's feet to keep the animal from walking.

(noun)

When you have handcuffs shackling your feet together and making it very difficult for you to walk properly, the manner in which you walk is an example of a hobble.

See hobble in Webster's New World College Dictionary

intransitive verb hobbled, hobbling

to go unsteadily, haltingly, etc.
to walk lamely or awkwardly; limp

Origin: ME hobelen (akin to Du hobbelen, Ger dial. hobbeln) < base of hoppen (see hop) + freq. suffix

transitive verb

to cause to go haltingly or lamely
to hamper the movement of (a horse, etc.) by tying two feet together
to hamper; hinder

noun

an awkward, halting walk; limp
a rope, strap, etc. used to hobble a horse; fetter
Rare an awkward situation; difficulty

Related Forms:

hobbler noun

See hobble in American Heritage Dictionary 4

verb hob·bled, hob·bling, hob·bles

verb, intransitive

To walk or move along haltingly or with difficulty; limp.

verb, transitive

To put a device around the legs of (a horse, for example) so as to hamper but not prevent movement.
To cause to limp.
To hamper the action or progress of; impede. See Synonyms at hamper¹.

noun