hobble
Use Hobble in a sentence
əl verb (used without object)
1.
to walk lamely; limp.
2.
to proceed irregularly and haltingly: His verses hobble with their faulty meters.
verb (used with object)
3.
to cause to limp: His tight shoes hobbled him.
4.
to fasten together the legs of (a horse, mule, etc.) by short lengths of rope to prevent free motion.
5.
to impede; hamper the progress of.
00:10
Hobble
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is peculate. Does it mean:
| to expurgate (a written work) by removing or modifying passages considered vulgar or objectionable. |
| to steal or take dishonestly (money, esp. public funds, or property entrusted to one's care); embezzle. |
noun
6.
an act of hobbling; an uneven, halting gait; a limp.
7.
a rope, strap, etc., used to hobble an animal.
8.
hobbles, a leg harness for controlling the gait of a pacer.
9.
Archaic. an awkward or difficult situation.
Origin:
1300–50; Middle English hobelen, apparently akin to hob protuberance, uneven ground, and to Dutch hobbelen, German hoppeln to jolt
1300–50; Middle English hobelen, apparently akin to hob protuberance, uneven ground, and to Dutch hobbelen, German hoppeln to jolt
Related forms
hob·bler, noun
un·hob·bled, adjective
un·hob·bling, adjective
Synonyms
5. hinder, restrict, frustrate, cramp.
5. hinder, restrict, frustrate, cramp.
Antonyms
5. aid, assist, benefit.
5. aid, assist, benefit.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To hobble
Collins
World English Dictionary
hobble (ˈhɒbəl) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —vb | |
| 1. | (intr) to walk with a lame awkward movement |
| 2. | (tr) to fetter the legs of (a horse) in order to restrict movement |
| 3. | to progress unevenly or with difficulty |
| 4. | (tr) to hamper or restrict (the actions or scope of a person, organization, etc) |
| —n | |
| 5. | a strap, rope, etc, used to hobble a horse |
| 6. | a limping gait |
| 7. | dialect (Brit) a difficult or embarrassing situation |
| 8. | a castrated ferret |
| [C14: probably from Low German; compare Flemish hoppelen, Middle Dutch hobbelen to stammer] | |
| 'hobbler | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
hobble
c.1300, hoblen "to rock back and forth, toss up and down," probably related to its Du. cognate hobbelen. Transitive sense of "tie the legs of an animal" first recorded 1831, probably an alteration of 16c. hopple, cognate with Flem. hoppelen "to rock, jump," related to Du. hobbelen. Sense of "hamper,
hinder" is c.1870.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
Property taxes hobble many upstate hamlets and cities.
But the tactic could ultimately hobble or even doom reform.
Antiquated labour laws protect public-service workers but hobble private-sector productivity.
The cutbacks of thousands of jobs have raised concerns among economists and could hobble the current tepid.
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