Hobby

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -É’bi

Shortened from hobby-horse, from Middle English hoby, hobyn, hobin ("small horse, pony"), from Old French hobi, *haubi, haubby, hobin

Modern French aubin, Italian ubino}, of origin: from Old French hober, ober ("to stir, move"), from Old Dutch hobben ("to toss, move up and down"); or from 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).

Noun

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

• (activity done for enjoyment in spare time): avocation, pastime

Derived terms

• hobbyist

Related terms

• hobbyhorse
• hobelar/hobeler

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

Full definition of hobby

Noun

1. Any of four species of small falcons in the genus Falco, especially Falco subbuteo.
• 2011, Thomas Penn, Winter King, Penguin 2012, p. 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

• , Falco cuvierii
• , Falco longipennis
• , Falco subbuteo
• , Falco severus