hob

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hob¹

  • /hɑb/ US
  • /hɒb/ UK

Rhymes with -ɒb

Where it comes from

Related to hub, but the ultimate origin of both words is obscure.

noun hobs

  1. A kind of cutting tool, used to cut the teeth of a gear.
  2. historical The flat projection or iron shelf at the side of a fire grate, where things are put to be kept warm. They went into a dingy room lined with books and littered with papers, where there was a blazing fire. A kettle steamed upon the hob, and in the midst of the wreck of papers a table shone, with plenty of wine upon it, and brandy, and rum, and sugar, and lemons.
  3. Commonwealth, Ireland, UK The top cooking surface on a cooker. It typically comprises several cooking elements (often four), usually called rings. And the first sound in the house was the bang, bang of the poker against the raker, as Morel smashed the remainder of the coal to make the kettle, which was filled and left on the hob, finally boil.

    Similar: cooktop, stovetop, range

  4. A rounded peg used as a target in several games, especially in quoits.
  5. A male ferret.

    Similar: hob-ferret

  6. The hub of a wheel. August 31 1776, George Washington, letter to the President of Congress the wheels of the carriages sinking up to the hobs rendered it impossible for our whole force to drag them.

verb hobs · hobbing · hobbed

  1. transitive To create (a gear) by cutting with a hob.
  2. intransitive To engage in the process of cutting gears with a hob.

hob²

  • /hɑb/ US
  • /hɒb/ UK

Rhymes with -ɒb

Where it comes from

From Middle English Hob (a diminutive of Robin, an Old French [Term?] diminutive of Robert), through its connection with Robin Goodfellow and (later) the devil. Compare hobgoblin; see robin.

noun hobs

  1. obsolete A fairy; a sprite; an elf; a bogey. From elves, hobs, and fairies, […] Defend us, good Heaven!
  2. obsolete A countryman; a rustic or yokel. More fitter for the Country Hobs.

    Similar: bogger, bogtrotter, boor, bucolic, bydlo, culchie, carl, churl, corncob, cornhusker, country bumpkin, country cousin

Similar: goblin

Hob³

  • /hɑb/ US
  • /hɒb/ UK

Rhymes with -ɒb

Where it comes from

From a medieval diminutive form of the given name Robin, and separately as a French diminutive of Robert.

proper noun

  1. obsolete A diminutive of the male given names Robert and Robin.
  2. archaic A nickname for Robin Goodfellow, Puck; (later) the devil
  3. A surname originating as a patronymic.

Thesaurus

noun

Similar: goblin

Translations

Every language

noun a cutting tool

Françaisarmure
DeutschFräser, Fräskopf
Italianofresa
Русскийчервя́чная фреза́ červjáčnaja frezá

noun a rounded peg used as a target in several games, especially in quoits

Русскийгвоздь gvozdʹ

noun a male ferret

Italianofuretto
Русскийхорёк xorjók

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Cite this
MLA

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

APA

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

Chicago

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

BibTeX
@misc{hob_2026,
  title = {hob},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/hob},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}