hobble
English · Thesaurus
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hobble
- /ˈhɒbəl/
Rhymes with -ɒbəl
Where it comes from
From Middle English hobblen, hobelen, akin to Middle Dutch hoblen, hobbelen (Modern Dutch hobbelen), Middle High German hoppeln (“to hop, limp, hobble”).
noun hobbles
- One of the short straps tied between the legs of unfenced horses, allowing them to wander short distances but preventing them from running off.
- An unsteady, off-balance step. We made it and we hobbled up the stairs. Or I hobbled. My sons didn't hobble, I hobbled.
- A difficult situation; a scrape. "Saddle a horse—any horse—only let him be sure and fleet," cried Ashwoode, "and I'll pay you his price thrice over!" "Well, it's a bargain," replied the groom, promptly; "I don't like to see a gentleman caught in a hobble, if I can help him out of it. […]
- An odd job; a piece of casual work.
Similar: tether
verb hobbles · hobbling · hobbled
- To fetter by tying the legs; to restrict (a horse) with hobbles. Near-synonyms: shackle, enshackle
-
To walk lame, or unevenly.
The friar was hobbling the same way too.
Similar: hirple
- To move or proceed roughly or irregularly. The hobbling versification, the mean diction.
- To disable; to impede. Near-synonyms: nobble, hamper, hinder, embarrass
- To commit (a person) for trial. […] hobbled straightaway!" "Hobbled, Gibbon?" inquired Lady Bligh. "Taken up and committed for trial, my lady."
Thesaurus
noun
Similar: tether
Translations
Every language
noun Short straps tied between the legs of unfenced horses
| Español | manea, suelta, atadura |
|---|---|
| Français | entrave, abot |
| Deutsch | Fußfessel, Spannstrick |
| Italiano | pastoia, ceppi, lacci |
| Ελληνικά | πέδικλο pédiklo |
| Русский | трено́га trenóga, пу́ты púty |
| العربية | شِكَال šikāl, عِقَال ʕiqāl |
noun An unsteady, off-balance step
| Italiano | traballamento, barcollamento, vacillamento, sbilanciamento |
|---|---|
| Ελληνικά | πεδίκλωμα pedíkloma |
| Русский | ковыля́ние kovyljánije |
verb To restrict a horse with hobbles
| Español | manear |
|---|---|
| Русский | трено́жить trenóžitʹ |
| العربية | شَكَلَ šakala |
Talk about this word "hobble." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/hobble. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. hobble. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/hobble "hobble." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/hobble.Cite this
@misc{hobble_2026,
title = {hobble},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/hobble},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
