definitions

hobby

1
[ hob-ee ]
/ ˈhɒb i /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR hobby ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural hob·bies.

an activity or interest pursued for pleasure or relaxation and not as a main occupation: Her hobbies include stamp-collecting and woodcarving.
a child's hobbyhorse.
Archaic. a small horse.

RELATED WORDS

connoisseur, fancier, authority, antiquarian, finder, antiquary, accumulator, gatherer, compiler

Nearby words

hobble, hobble skirt, hobblebush, hobbledehoy, hobbs, hobby, hobby farmer, hobby, oveta culp, hobbyhorse, hobbyist, hobday

Idioms

    ride a hobby, to concern oneself excessively with a favorite notion or activity.Also ride a hobbyhorse.

Origin of hobby

1
1325–75; Middle English hoby(n), probably for Robin, or Robert (cf. hob2), used as horse's name, as in dobbin
Related formshob·by·ist, nounhob·by·less, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for hobbyist

  • So why is one considered fine art and the other the harmless pastime of a hobbyist?

    Art on the Tracks|Malcolm Jones|February 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST

  • Dan's index finger failed to reach the trigger, for a guardian machine gun removed the hobbyist's head in a short efficient burst.

    Thy Rocks and Rills|Robert Ernest Gilbert

  • Glaring down at the hobbyist, Stonecypher gripped the staff and rotated thick wrists outward.

    Thy Rocks and Rills|Robert Ernest Gilbert

  • The moment you become a tradesman you cease to be a hobbyist.

    In the Name of the Bodleian and Other Essays|Augustine Birrell

British Dictionary definitions for hobbyist (1 of 2)

hobby

1
/ (ˈhɒbɪ) /

noun plural -bies

an activity pursued in spare time for pleasure or relaxation
archaic, or dialect a small horse or pony
short for hobbyhorse (def. 1)
an early form of bicycle, without pedals
Derived Formshobbyist, noun

Word Origin for hobby

C14 hobyn, probably variant of proper name Robin; compare dobbin

British Dictionary definitions for hobbyist (2 of 2)

hobby

2
/ (ˈhɒbɪ) /

noun plural -bies

any of several small Old World falcons, esp the European Falco subbuteo, formerly used in falconry

Word Origin for hobby

C15: from Old French hobet, from hobe falcon; probably related to Middle Dutch hobbelen to roll, turn
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012