Definitions for hobby
ˈhɒb ihob·by

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. avocation, by-line, hobby, pursuit, sideline, spare-time activitynoun

   an auxiliary activity

2. hobby, hobbyhorse, rocking horsenoun

   a child's plaything consisting of an imitation horse mounted on rockers; the child straddles it and pretends to ride

3. hobby, Falco subbuteonoun

   small Old World falcon formerly trained and flown at small birds

WiktionaryRate this definition:1.0 / 1 vote

1. hobbynoun

   An activity that one enjoys doing in one's spare time.

   I like to collect stamps from different countries as a hobby.

2. hobbynoun

   An extinct breed of horse native to the British Isles, also known as the Irish Hobby

3. hobbynoun

   Any of four species of small falcons in the genus Falco, especially Falco subbuteo.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Hobbynoun

   Etymology: hobereau, French.

   1. A species of hawk.

   They have such a hovering possession of the Valtoline, as an hobby hath over a lark. Francis Bacon.

   The common people will chop like trouts at an artificial fly, and dare like larks under the awe of a painted hobby. Roger L'Estrange, Fables.

   Larks lie dar’d to shun the hobby ’s flight. Dryden.

   2. [ Hoppe, Gothick, a horse; hobin, French, a pacing horse.] An Irish or Scottish horse; a pacing horse; a garran.3. A stick on which boys get astride and ride.

   Those grave contenders about opiniative trifles look like aged Socrates upon his boy’s hobby horse. Joseph Glanvill, Sceps. c. 27.

   As young children, who are try’d in
   Go-carts, to keep their steps from sliding,
   When members knit, and legs grow stronger,
   Make use of such machine no longer;
   But leap pro libitu, and scout
   On horse call’d hobby, or without. Matthew Prior.

   No hobby horse, with gorgeous top,
   Could with this rod of Sid compare. Jonathan Swift.

   4. A stupid fellow.

   I have studied eight or nine wise words to speak to you, which these hobby horses must not hear. William Shakespeare.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Hobby

   A hobby is considered to be a regular activity that is done for enjoyment, typically during one's leisure time. Hobbies include collecting themed items and objects, engaging in creative and artistic pursuits, playing sports, or pursuing other amusements. Participation in hobbies encourages acquiring substantial skills and knowledge in that area. A list of hobbies changes with renewed interests and developing fashions, making it diverse and lengthy. Hobbies tend to follow trends in society, for example stamp collecting was popular during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries as postal systems were the main means of communication, while video games are more popular nowadays following technological advances. The advancing production and technology of the nineteenth century provided workers with more leisure time to engage in hobbies. Because of this, the efforts of people investing in hobbies has increased with time. Hobbyists may be identified under three sub-categories: casual leisure which is intrinsically rewarding, short-lived, pleasurable activity requiring little or no preparation, serious leisure which is the systematic pursuit of an amateur, hobbyist, or volunteer that is substantial, rewarding and results in a sense of accomplishment, and finally project-based leisure which is a short-term, often one-off, project that is rewarding.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. hobby

   A hobby is an activity or interest that someone does for pleasure, relaxation, or entertainment during their free time. It is usually done out of interest, enthusiasm, or passion rather than for financial gain or professional reasons. This could include a wide range of activities such as painting, gardening, reading, knitting, playing a musical instrument, or collecting items.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:1.0 / 1 vote

1. Hobbynoun

   a small, strong-winged European falcon (Falco subbuteo), formerly trained for hawking

2. Hobbynoun

   alt. of Hobbyhorse

3. Etymology: [OE. hobi; cf. OF. hobe, hob, F. hobereau a hobby, a species of falcon. OF. hober to move, stir. Cf. Hobby a horse.]

WikidataRate this definition:3.7 / 3 votes

1. Hobby

   A hobby is a regularly undertaken activity that is done for pleasure, typically, during one's leisure time. Hobbies can include: the collection of themed items and objects, engaging in creative and artistic pursuits, playing sports, along with many more examples. By continually participating in a particular hobby, one can acquire substantial skill and knowledge in that area. Generally speaking, a person who engages in an activity solely for fun is called an amateur, as opposed to a professional who engages in an activity for reward. An amateur may be as skilled as a professional, the principle difference being that a professional receives compensation while an amateur does not.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. Hobby

   hob′i, n. a strong, active horse: a pacing horse: a subject on which one is constantly setting off, as in 'to ride' or 'to mount a hobby:' a favourite pursuit.—n. Hobb′y-horse, a stick or figure of a horse on which boys ride: one of the chief parts played in the ancient morris-dance: (Shak.) a term of contempt for a loose and frivolous person, male or female.—adj. Hobb′y-hor′sical, having a hobby: eccentric.—ns. Hobb′yism; Hobb′yist, one who rides a hobby.—adj. Hobb′yless. [M. E. hobyn, hoby, prob. Hob, a by-form of Rob. Hence also O. Fr. hobin, hobi (Fr. aubin).]

2. Hobby

   hob′i, n. a small species of falcon. [O. Fr. hobé, hobet—Low L. hobetus; prob. O. Fr. hober, to move.]

Editors ContributionRate this definition:3.0 / 1 vote

1. hobby

   An activity experienced for joy, pleasure or love.

   My sisters hobby is making small toys from a variety of materials, she sits for hours in the garden shed and puts so much time and effort, she then gives them to the local charity shop, they love them and sell them regularly and look forward to seeing her.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on December 5, 2016  

Surnames Frequency by Census RecordsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. HOBBY

   According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Hobby is ranked #11122 in terms of the most common surnames in America.
   
   The Hobby surname appeared 2,851 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 would have the surname Hobby.
   
   86.9% or 2,478 total occurrences were White.
   9% or 257 total occurrences were Black.
   1.7% or 51 total occurrences were of two or more races.
   1.4% or 41 total occurrences were of Hispanic origin.
   0.4% or 13 total occurrences were American Indian or Alaskan Native.
   0.3% or 11 total occurrences were Asian.

Matched Categories

1. • Falcon
   • Plaything

How to pronounce hobby?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say hobby in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of hobby in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of hobby in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7

Examples of hobby in a Sentence

1. Kok Chwee Sim:

   Spotting in locations such as Singapore where the hobby is less understood, the biggest challenge is posed by the security, even as one is clearly and visibly harmless near an airport, security personnel tend to insist that one moves on and not spot or photograph airplanes.

2. Ahmed Mohamed:

   My hobby is to invent stuff.

3. Phyllis Mcginley:

   A hobby a day keeps the doldrums away.

4. George Bryan:

   The goal is really to use this to help our pro golf careers out, but at the same time we view this as a hobby, we both enjoy it, and when we do have an off week, it's good to get out minds off tournament golf and there's no better outlet to be creative than trying some trick shots out and seeing how far we can take it.

5. Larry Millete:

   All my children are taught and practice safety to include gun safety at an early age. It’s a sport and hobby we all enjoy, not all gun owners are evil villains. A firearm is a tool. You have to practice using that tool to become proficient incase you ever need it (sic) utilize it. Firearms are not bad as they are often portrayed to be.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=hobby
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Hobby
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=hobby
4. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobby
5. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
6. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hobby
7. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=hobby
8. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=hobby
9. ^ Surnames Frequency by Census Records
   https://www.census.gov/topics/population/genealogy/data/2010_surnames.html