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dobbin

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dobbin¹

  • /ˈdɒbɪn/ UK
  • /ˈdɑbɪn/ US

Rhymes with -ɒbɪn

Where it comes from

From Dobbin, a common name given to workhorses.

noun dobbins

  1. countable, uncountable An old jaded horse.

    Similar: hack, jade, nag

  2. UK, dialectal, uncountable Sea gravel mixed with sand.
  3. countable, dated, slang, uncountable Synonym of horse (illegitimate study aid)

    Similar: horse

Dobbin²

Where it comes from

From Dobb (“a medieval short form of the given name Robert”) + -en; thus archaically equivalent to Bobby. Cognate with English Dobbie.

proper noun

  1. A surname originating as a patronymic.
  2. A pet name given to workhorses, and by extension, a placeholder name used for any workhorse, much like John Q. Public and other such placeholders are used for people. Early automobiles were a menace to old Dobbin
  3. An unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Texas, United States.
  4. An unincorporated community in Grant County, West Virginia, United States.

Translations

Every language

noun old broken-down horse

Españolruco, matalón
Françaiscarne
DeutschSchindmähre, Mähre, Klepper
Русскийкля́ча kljáča, одёр odjór

Talk about this word

Cite this
MLA

"dobbin." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/dobbin. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

dobbin. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/dobbin

Chicago

"dobbin." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/dobbin.

BibTeX
@misc{dobbin_2026,
  title = {dobbin},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/dobbin},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}