hobby
nounnouncommon in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ˈhɒ.bi//
- United States//ˈhɑ.bi//
An activity that one enjoys doing in one's spare time.
noun
- 1
An activity that one enjoys doing in one's spare time.
I like to collect stamps from different countries as a hobby.
take up a hobby
give up your hobby
- 2
An extinct breed of horse native to the British Isles, also known as the Irish Hobby.
I was out a-hunting to-day, and I got away to a place in the wood I’d never seen before. And there was an old chalk-pit. And I heard a kind of a sort of humming. So I got off my hobby, and I went right quiet to the pit, and I looked down.
- 3
Synonym of hobby horse (“a favorite topic”).
"Well, I think East is right," said Arthur; "I can't see but what it's right to do the best you can, though it mayn't be the best absolutely. Every man isn't born to be a martyr." "Of course, of course," said East; "but he's on one of his pet hobbies. — How often have I told you, Tom, that you must drive a nail where it'll go."
- 4
Painting and building miniatures (as opposed to playing the game)
I'm more into the competitive part than the hobby part of this game.
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).
noun
- 1
Any of four species of small falcons in the genus Falco, especially Falco subbuteo.
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.
Etymology
From Middle English hoby, hobeye, from Old French hobé, hobei, hobet, from Medieval Latin hopētus, diminutive of harpe.
Forms
- plural
- hobbies
hobby · An activity that one enjoys doing in one's spare time.
Hobby · An English surname transferred from the given name.hobo · A wandering homeless person, especially (historical) one…hockey · Any of a family of sports in which hockey sticks are used to…