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hob·by¹

(hŏbē)

n. pl. hob·bies

An activity or interest pursued outside one's regular occupation and engaged in primarily for pleasure.

[Middle English hobi, hobyn, small horse, hobby horse, perhaps from Hobin, Hobby, nickname for Robert.]

hobby·ist n.

hob·by²

(hŏbē)

n. pl. hob·bies

Any of several small falcons of the genus Falco, formerly used for catching small birds or game.

[Middle English hobi, from Old French hobe, hobel.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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