hobby
Meanings
Plural: hobbies
Noun
- an auxiliary activity
- a child's plaything consisting of an imitation horse mounted on rockers; the child straddles it and pretends to ride
- small Old World falcon formerly trained and flown at small birds
- An activity that one enjoys doing in one's spare time.
- An extinct breed of horse native to the British Isles, also known as the Irish Hobby.
- Synonym of hobby horse (“a favorite topic”).
- Any of four species of small falcons in the genus Falco, especially Falco subbuteo.
Origin / 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).
Synonyms
amusement, avocation, by-line, diversion, divertisement, Falco subbuteo, fancy, hobby, hobby horse, hobbyhorse, kill-time, pastime, pursuit, rocking horse, sideline, spare-time activity, sport
Antonyms
Scrabble Score: 15
hobby is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL wordhobby is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
hobby is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary