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Webster 1828 Edition

Hobby

HOB'BY

,
Noun.
A kind of hawk; a hawk of the lure.

HOB'BY

, n.
1.
A strong active horse, of a middle size, said to have been originally from Ireland; a nag; a pacing horse; a garran.
2.
A stick, or figure of a horse, on which boys ride.
3.
Any favorite object; that which a person pursues with zeal or delight.
4.
A stupid fellow.

Definition 2025

Hobby

Hobby

See also: hobby

English

Proper noun

Hobby

  1. An English surname​.

German

Etymology

English hobby

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈhɔbi/

Noun

Hobby n ‎(genitive Hobbys, plural Hobbys or Hobbies)

  1. a hobby (activity)

Usage notes

  • The plural Hobbies is dated.

Declension

hobby

hobby

See also: Hobby

English

Noun

hobby ‎(plural hobbies)

  1. An activity that one enjoys doing in one's spare time.
    I like to collect stamps from different countries as a hobby.
  2. (horses) An extinct breed of horse native to the British Isles, also known as the Irish Hobby
Synonyms
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations

Etymology 2

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

Noun

hobby ‎(plural hobbies)

  1. Any of four species of small falcons in the genus Falco, especially Falco subbuteo.
    • 2011, Thomas Penn, Winter King, Penguin 2012, page 323:
      He hawked – from nearby Esher, Richard Fox sent a servant with a hobby, which Henry received enthusiastically – and hunted, sending a present of freshly slaughtered deer to Princess Mary.
Derived terms
Translations

Czech

Noun

hobby n

  1. hobby (activity)

Danish

Noun

hobby c (singular definite hobbyen, plural indefinite hobbyer)

  1. hobby (activity)

Synonyms

  • fritidsinteresse

Inflection

Dutch

Pronunciation

  • Hyphenation: hob‧by

Noun

hobby m ‎(plural hobby's, diminutive hobby'tje n)

  1. hobby (activity)

Synonyms

Finnish

Noun

hobby

  1. (nonstandard) hobby (activity)

Declension

Inflection of hobby (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)
nominative hobby hobbyt
genitive hobbyn hobbyjen
partitive hobbya hobbyja
illative hobbyyn hobbyihin
singular plural
nominative hobby hobbyt
accusative nom. hobby hobbyt
gen. hobbyn
genitive hobbyn hobbyjen
partitive hobbya hobbyja
inessive hobbyssa hobbyissa
elative hobbysta hobbyista
illative hobbyyn hobbyihin
adessive hobbylla hobbyilla
ablative hobbylta hobbyilta
allative hobbylle hobbyille
essive hobbyna hobbyina
translative hobbyksi hobbyiksi
instructive — hobbyin
abessive hobbytta hobbyitta
comitative — hobbyineen

Synonyms

French

Etymology

from English

Noun

hobby m ‎(plural hobbies or hobbys)

  1. hobby (activity)

Synonyms

Interlingua

Noun

hobby

  1. hobby (activity)

Italian

Noun

hobby m ‎(invariable)

  1. hobby (activity)
  2. (in the plural) hobbies

Related terms

  • hobbysto
  • hobbystico

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From English hobby

Noun

hobby m ‎(definite singular hobbyen, indefinite plural hobbyer, definite plural hobbyene)

  1. a hobby (leisure activity)

References

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From English hobby

Noun

hobby m ‎(definite singular hobbyen, indefinite plural hobbyar, definite plural hobbyane)

  1. a hobby (leisure activity)

References

Polish

Noun

hobby

  1. hobby (activity)

Portuguese

Noun

hobby m (plural hobbies or hobbys)

  1. hobby (activity)

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowing from English hobby.

Noun

hobby n ‎(plural hobby-uri)

  1. hobby

Declension

Spanish

Etymology

From English.

Noun

hobby m ‎(plural hobbys)

  1. hobby (activity)

Swedish

Noun

hobby c

  1. hobby (activity)

Etymology

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.

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).

Pronunciation

  • Rhymes: -ɒbi
  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈhɒ.bi/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈhɑ.bi/

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