hobbit

American  

[hob-it] / ˈhɒb ɪt /

noun

1. a member of a race of imaginary creatures related to and resembling humans, living in underground holes and characterized by their good nature, diminutive size, and hairy feet.

2. a nickname for Homo floresiensis.

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hobbit British  

/ ˈhɒbɪt /

noun

1. one of an imaginary race of half-size people living in holes

2. a nickname used for a very small type of primitive human, Homo floresiensis , following the discovery of remains of eight such people on the Island of Flores, Indonesia, in 2004

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Other Word Forms

• hobbitry noun

Etymology

Origin of hobbit

1937; coined by J. R. R. Tolkien in his fantasy novel “The Hobbit”

Example Sentences

But if we adjust the details a bit, that sounds awfully close to Elon Musk’s lazy storybook fantasies about charming hobbit villages protected by “hard men.”

From Salon

“The hobbits started talking about, ‘Well, maybe you need a “gand” to help you control your powers.’

From Los Angeles Times

Here, it was pure joy to watch HORA’s actors embrace their inner hobbits, dwarves, wizards, orcs and elves — including one that yodels!

From New York Times

“In that conflict,” Tolkien concludes, “both sides would have held hobbits in hatred and contempt: they would not long have survived even as slaves.”

From Salon

In the months before Christopher Paolini wrote the book that made him a star in young adult fantasy, he built a hobbit hole.

From New York Times