hobby
Meaning
- 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
Synonyms
avocation
spare-time activity
by-line
Falco subbuteo
be into
inclined to
dramatic presentation
feast 3
take interest
leisure activity
hooby
eruasian hobby
interested in
leisure-time activity
Frequency
Pronounced as (IPA)
/ˈhɒ.bi/
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).
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Notes
