The AI-powered English dictionary
plural hobs
A kind of cutting tool, used to cut the teeth of a gear. examples
(historical) The flat projection or iron shelf at the side of a fire grate, where things are put to be kept warm. quotations
They went into a dingy room lined with books and littered with papers, where there was a blazing fire. A kettle steamed upon the hob, and in the midst of the wreck of papers a table shone, with plenty of wine upon it, and brandy, and rum, and sugar, and lemons.
1898, Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities, Book the Second, Chapter V (The Jackal)
(Britain, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand) The top cooking surface on a cooker; a cooktop. It typically comprises several cooking elements (often four), also known as 'rings'. quotations examples
And the first sound in the house was the bang, bang of the poker against the raker, as Morel smashed the remainder of the coal to make the kettle, which was filled and left on the hob, finally boil.
1913, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, chapter 2, in Sons and Lovers, London: Duckworth & Co. […]
A rounded peg used as a target in several games, especially in quoits. examples
A male ferret. examples
The hub of a wheel. quotations examples
the wheels of the carriages sinking up to the hobs rendered it impossible for our whole force to drag them.
August 31 1776, George Washington, letter to the President of Congress
third-person singular simple present hobs, present participle hobbing, simple past and past participle hobbed
(transitive) To create (a gear) by cutting with a hob. examples
(intransitive) To engage in the process of cutting gears with a hob. examples
(obsolete) A fairy; a sprite; an elf; a bogey. quotations
From elves, hobs, and fairies, […] Defend us, good Heaven!
1610–1616, John Fletcher, “Monsieur Thomas. A Comedy.”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, Act IV, scene vi
(obsolete) A countryman; a rustic or yokel. quotations
More fitter for the Country Hobs.
1682, Langley Curtis, New News from Bedlam