hobby
English
Pronunciation
- Rhymes: -ɒbi
Etymology 1
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).
Noun
Wikipedia hobby (plural hobbies)
- An activity that one enjoys doing in one's spare time.
- I like to collect stamps from different countries as a hobby.
- (horses) An extinct breed of horse native to the British Isles, also known as the Irish Hobby
Synonyms
Derived terms
- hobbyist n
Related terms
Translations
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Etymology 2
From Old French hobet, from Medieval Latin hobētus, diminutive of hobe.
Noun
hobby (plural hobbies)
- 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.
- 2011, Thomas Penn, Winter King, Penguin 2012, p. 323:
Derived terms
- African hobby, Falco cuvierii
- Australian hobby, Falco longipennis
- Eurasian hobby, Falco subbuteo
- Oriental hobby, Falco severus
Translations
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Danish
Noun
hobby c (singular definite hobbyen, plural indefinite hobbyer)
- hobby (activity)
Synonyms
- fritidsinteresse
Inflection
| common gender | Singular | Plural | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| indefinite | definite | indefinite | definite | |
| nominative, dative and accusative | hobby | hobbyen | hobbyer | hobbyerne |
| genitive | hobbys | hobbyens | hobbyers | hobbyernes |
Dutch
↑Jump back a sectionFinnish
Noun
hobby
- hobby (activity)
Declension
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Declension of hobby (type valo)
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Synonyms
French
Etymology
from English
Noun
hobby m (plural hobbies) (alternative plural hobbys)
- hobby (activity)
Synonyms
Italian
Noun
hobby m (invariable)
- hobby (activity)
- (in the plural) hobbies
Related terms
- hobbysto
- hobbystico