Hobnob Definition

hŏbnŏb

hobnobbed, hobnobbing, hobnobs

verb

To associate familiarly.

Hobnobs with the executives.

American Heritage

To drink together.

Webster's New World

To associate or mingle (with others, esp. famous or socially prominent people)

Webster's New World

To associate in a friendly manner, often with those of a higher class or status.

The ambitious young student hobnobbed with the faculty at the prestigious college he hoped to attend.

His favorite spot in the club was the bar, where he could hobnob with the big-wigs.

Wiktionary

Synonyms:

adverb

At random.

Webster's New World

(obsolete) At random; hit and miss.

Wiktionary

noun

A friendly chat.

Webster's New World

Origin of Hobnob

Earlier hob-or-nob, hob-nob to toast or drink to each other alternately, drink together from hob or nob, hob a nob, hob nob give or take, hit or miss, however it may turn out (spoken as a toast when clinking glasses) alteration of obsolete and dialectal hab nab (perhaps originally meaning “have or have not”) probably Middle English habbe singular present subjunctive of Middle English haven, habben to have have Middle English nabbe have not singular present subjunctive of nabben not to have (from Old English nabban) (ne not ne in Indo-European roots) (habban to have have)

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

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