Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun Chiefly British A hobgoblin, sprite, or elf.
- noun Mischievous behavior.
- noun A shelf or projection at the back or side of a fireplace, used for keeping food or utensils warm.
- noun A tool used for cutting the teeth of machine parts, as of a gearwheel.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A round stick, stake, or pin used as a mark to throw at in certain games, as in quoits or the game called
hob . - noun A boys' game in which halfpence are set on the end of a round stick (the hob), at which something (as a stone) is pitched.
- noun A hardened threaded steel mandrel for cutting a comb or chasing-tool.
- noun The nave of a wheel: same as
hub , 7. - noun A structure inserted in a fireplace to diminish its width, originally introduced when broad open fireplaces were first fitted with grates for the burning of coal; also, the level top of such a structure, forming a space upon which any thing can be set which it is desired to keep hot.
- noun The shoe of a sledge.
- noun A countryman; a rustic; an awkward, clownish fellow.
- noun A sprite; an elf; a hobgoblin.
- noun A milling-machine cutter used in forming the teeth of worm-gears.
- noun A master die; a steel punch cut to a certain design, used for making coining-dies.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Zoöl.) The male ferret.
- noun obsolete A fairy; a sprite; an elf.
- noun obsolete A countryman; a rustic; a clown.
- noun The hub of a wheel. See
Hub . - noun The flat projection or iron shelf at the side of a fire grate, where things are put to be kept warm.
- noun (Mech.) A threaded and fluted hardened steel cutter, resembling a tap, used in a lathe for forming the teeth of screw chasers, worm wheels, etc.
- noun A peg, pin, or mark used as a target in some games, as an iron pin in quoits; also, a game in which such a target is used.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun obsolete A
fairy ; asprite ; anelf . - noun obsolete A
countryman ; arustic oryokel . - noun A kind of cutting tool, used to cut the teeth of a
gear . - noun obsolete The flat projection or iron shelf at the side of a fire grate, where things are put to be kept warm.
- noun UK The top cooking surface on a cooker. It typically comprises several cooking elements (often four), also known as 'rings'.
- noun A rounded
peg used as atarget in several games, especially inquoits - noun A male
ferret . - verb transitive To create (a gear) by cutting with a hob.
- verb intransitive To engage in the process of cutting gears with a hob.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun (folklore) fairies that are somewhat mischievous
- noun a hard steel edge tool used to cut gears
- noun a shelf beside an open fire where something can be kept warm
- verb cut with a hob
- noun (folklore) a small grotesque supernatural creature that makes trouble for human beings
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Cool …. kast on 23 Feb 2009 at 12: 10 am # are the house is for the cooks??? the twin hob is surely become the focal point in this house …
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The hob is just a far too tempting place to put the iron whilst it cools.
French masterclass 2007
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It also hardens the liver and produces a disease known as hob-nailed, or gin, liver.
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"The kettle on the hob is the friend of the family," she said gaily.
The Project Gutenberg Complete Works of Gilbert Parker Gilbert Parker 1897
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"The kettle on the hob is the friend of the family," she said gaily.
You Never Know Your Luck; being the story of a matrimonial deserter. Volume 3. Gilbert Parker 1897
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"The kettle on the hob is the friend of the family," she said gaily.
You Never Know Your Luck; being the story of a matrimonial deserter. Complete Gilbert Parker 1897
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An Englishman may be a mass of prejudices, but I confess I did not like the idea of hob-nobbing with a would-be parricide and determined that
Diversions in Sicily Henry Festing Jones 1889
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CALLER: Well, I think that Mr. Cheney is kind of hob-nobbing with the Saudis.
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After the first curtain fall, while the loaves and the fishes were holding a peace conference and our feet were simply itching to put the "hob" in Hoboken, it was announced in behalf of the management that as Hoboken had gone dry, we would have to go elsewhere "to hit the Port."
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This mathematical axiom, which is well enough in its place, has been extended into the field of morals and social life, confused the perception of human relations, and raised "hob," as the saying is, in political economy.
The Complete Project Gutenberg Writings of Charles Dudley Warner Charles Dudley Warner 1864
brtom commented on the word hob
... lifted the kettle off the hob and set it sideways on the fire.
Joyce, Ulysses, 4
December 31, 2006
tenaciousn commented on the word hob
also the name for an unneutered male ferret
December 1, 2007
bilby commented on the word hob
Glad my name's not Harold O'Brien then.
December 1, 2007
uselessness commented on the word hob
Talk about a specific word. Is this like chained_bear's list, where there are a bunch of different words referring to the neutered varieties of different animals?
December 1, 2007
sionnach commented on the word hob
If Rudy Giulani ever becomes president, expect unneutered male ferrets to become an endangered species, as the former cross-dressing mayor's intemperate views on ferrets and ferret-owners are well-documented.
December 1, 2007
sionnach commented on the word hob
Uselessness - given that there are specific words for male deer in each year of their lifetime (hint: count the antlers, and yes - I will get to this list eventually), it's a safe bet that the answer to your question is "yes". If it was ever important to make this distinction, in any culture, at any point in history, then you can be sure that English, inclusive to the point of promiscuity, will have borrowed all the relevant vocabulary needed to preserve the distinction.
December 1, 2007
uselessness commented on the word hob
Haha! And that Rudy ferret radio interview was great! I seriously, seriously hope that man doesn't get anywhere. Incidentally, I have a new Election 2008 list...
December 1, 2007
bilby commented on the word hob
No no no. You don't get to mention Giuliani and ferrets without having to explain to us colonials what's going on.
December 1, 2007
uselessness commented on the word hob
December 1, 2007
bilby commented on the word hob
Thanks u, enjoyed that!
December 1, 2007
trivet commented on the word hob
Steer, gelding, barrow, wether...
December 1, 2007
chained_bear commented on the word hob
You know... I could listen to only less than a minute of that. People talking like that just makes my blood pressure skyrocket. God.
(Thanks for posting though. Another reason to pray daily nightly that that man doesn't win anything of more consequence than a ping-pong tournament.)
December 1, 2007
MaryW commented on the word hob
Marie Browne, Narrow Margins (Mid-Glamorgan: Accent Press Ltd., 2009)November 3, 2015