hobby

== English == === Pronunciation === Rhymes: -ɒbi (UK) IPA(key): /ˈhɒ.bi/ (US) IPA(key): /ˈhɑ.bi/ === Etymology 1 === Shortened from hobby-horse, from Middle English hoby, hobyn, hobin (“small horse, pony”), from Old French hobi, *haubi, haubby, hobin ("a nag, hobby"; > Modern French aubin, Italian ubino), of Germanic origin: from Old French hober, ober (“to stir, move”), from Old Dutch hobben (“to toss, move up and down”); or from North Germanic origin related to Danish hoppe (“a mare”), Old Swedish hoppa (“a young mare”), North Frisian hoppe (“horse”); both ultimately from Proto-Germanic *huppōną (“to hop”), from Proto-Indo-European *kewb- (“to bend; a bend, joint”). More at hop, hobble. The meaning of hobby-horse shifted from "small horse, pony" to "child's toy riding horse" to "favorite pastime or avocation" with the connecting notion being "activity that doesn't go anywhere". Possibly originally from a proper name for a horse, a diminutive of Robert or Robin (compare dobbin). ==== Noun ==== hobby (plural hobbies) An activity that one enjoys doing in one's spare time. (equestrianism) An extinct breed of horse native to the British Isles, also known as the Irish Hobby. Synonym of hobby horse (“a favorite topic”). ===== Synonyms ===== (activity done for enjoyment in spare time): avocation, pastime; See also Thesaurus:hobby ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Related terms ===== hobbyhorse (noun) hobelar/hobeler ===== Descendants ===== ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 2 === From Middle English hoby, hobeye, from Old French hobé, hobei, hobet, from Medieval Latin hopētus, diminutive of harpe. ==== Noun ==== hobby (plural hobbies) Any of four species of small falcons in the genus Falco, especially Falco subbuteo. ===== Derived terms ===== African hobby, Falco cuvierii Australian hobby, Falco longipennis Eurasian hobby, Falco subbuteo Oriental hobby, Falco severus ===== Translations ===== === See also === hobby lantern == Catalan == === Etymology === Borrowed from English hobby. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): (Central) [ˈɔ.βi] IPA(key): (Balearic, Valencia) [ˈɔ.bi] === Noun === hobby m (plural hobbies) hobby Synonym: passatemps === References === === Further reading === “hobby”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2026 “hobby” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua. == Czech == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): [ˈɦobɪ] === Noun === hobby n hobby (activity) ==== Declension ==== == Danish == === Etymology === From English hobby. === Noun === hobby c (singular definite hobbyen, plural indefinite hobbyer) hobby (activity) ==== Inflection ==== ==== Synonyms ==== fritidsinteresse === Further reading === “hobby” in Den Danske Ordbog == Dutch == === Etymology === From English hobby. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈɦɔ.bi/ Hyphenation: hob‧by === Noun === hobby m (plural hobby's, diminutive hobby'tje n) hobby (activity) Synonym: liefhebberij ==== Derived terms ==== == Finnish == === Etymology === From English hobby. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈhobi/, [ˈho̞bi] IPA(key): /ˈhobːi/, [ˈho̞bːi] Rhymes: -obi === Noun === hobby (dated) (now nonstandard) synonym of harrastus (“hobby”) ==== Declension ==== === Further reading === “hobby”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2 July 2023 == French == === Etymology === Borrowed from English hobby. === Pronunciation === (aspirated h) IPA(key): /ɔ.bi/ === Noun === hobby m (plural hobbies or hobbys) hobby (activity) Synonym: passe-temps === Further reading === “hobby”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012 == Interlingua == === Noun === hobby hobby (activity) == Italian == === Etymology === Unadapted borrowing from English hobby. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈɔb.bi/ Rhymes: -ɔbbi Hyphenation: hòb‧by === Noun === hobby m (invariable) hobby (activity) ==== Related terms ==== hobbysto hobbystico === Further reading === hobby in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana == Norwegian Bokmål == === Etymology === From English hobby. === Noun === hobby m (definite singular hobbyen, indefinite plural hobbyer, definite plural hobbyene) a hobby (leisure activity) === References === “hobby” in The Bokmål Dictionary. == Norwegian Nynorsk == === Etymology === From English hobby. === Noun === hobby m (definite singular hobbyen, indefinite plural hobbyar, definite plural hobbyane) a hobby (leisure activity) === References === “hobby” in The Nynorsk Dictionary. == Polish == === Etymology === Unadapted borrowing from English hobby. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈxɔb.bi/, /ˈxɔb.bɘ/ Rhymes: -ɔbbi, -ɔbbɘ Syllabification: hob‧by === Noun === hobby n (indeclinable) hobby, passion (activity to which one devotes a lot of time and resources) Synonyms: konik, pasja, zainteresowanie, zajawka, zamiłowanie ==== Related terms ==== === Further reading === hobby in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN hobby in Polish dictionaries at PWN == Portuguese == === Etymology === Unadapted borrowing from English hobby. === Pronunciation === Rhymes: -ɔbi Homophone: (Brazil) robe === Noun === hobby m (plural hobbies) hobby (an activity that one enjoys doing in one’s spare time) Synonym: passatempo === Further reading === “hobby”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026 == Romanian == === Etymology === Borrowed from English hobby. === Noun === hobby n (plural hobby-uri) hobby ==== Declension ==== == Spanish == === Alternative forms === hobi === Etymology === Unadapted borrowing from English hobby. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈxobi/ [ˈxo.β̞i] Rhymes: -obi === Noun === hobby m (plural hobbys) hobby (activity) Synonyms: pasatiempo, afición ==== Usage notes ==== According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed. === Further reading === “hobby”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025 == Swedish == === Etymology === Unadapted borrowing from English hobby. === Noun === hobby c hobby (activity) ==== Declension ==== === Further reading === hobby in Svensk ordbok.