hobnail

American  

[hob-nayl] / ˈhɒbˌneɪl /

noun

1. a large-headed nail for protecting the soles of heavy boots and shoes.

2. a small allover pattern consisting of small tufts, as on fabrics, or of small studs, as on glass.

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hobnail British  

/ ˈhɒbˌneɪl /

noun

1. 1. a short nail with a large head for protecting the soles of heavy footwear

   2. ( as modifier )

      hobnail boots

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Other Word Forms

• hobnailed
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of hobnail

First recorded in 1585–95; hob ¹ + nail

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hobnail

The word "hobnail" first appears in a text attributed to Shakespeare, but it's difficult to imagine it arose from a creative poetic act.

From Salon ● Sep. 24, 2022

If you know when and where to look, you can find sumptuous patches of violet blewits, a foreboding rust-colored tree pathogen called the “orange hobnail canker” and a honey-hued jelly fungi known as “witches’ butter.”

From New York Times ● Apr. 15, 2021

A hobnail or a piece of wampum far exceeds it. 

From Forbes ● Aug. 18, 2014

The air is filled with the stamp of hobnail boots landing on concrete on the command of a sergeant major.

From BBC ● May 18, 2012

I made it convenient to pause before Berry and Roger's show of jewels, and he stopped, too, swaying there gravely, balanced now on hobnail heel, now on toe.

From The Reckoning by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers

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