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.
the uneven manner of walking that results from an injured leg [syn: hitch]
verb
1.
walk impeded by some physical limitation or injury; "The old woman hobbles down to the store every day" [syn: limp]
2.
hamper the action or progress of; "The chairman was hobbled by the all-powerful dean"
3.
strap the foreleg and hind leg together on each side (of a horse) in order to keep the legs on the same side moving in unison; "hobble race horses" [syn: hopple]
to walk with difficulty, usually taking short steps (eg because one is lame or because one's feet are sore) Example: The old lady hobbled along with a stick.
Hob"ble\, n. i. [imp. & p. p. Hobbled; p. pr. & vb. n. Hobbling.] [OE. hobelen, hoblen, freq. of hoppen to hop; akin to D. hobbelen, hoblen, hoppeln. See Hop to jump, and cf. Hopple ]1. To walk lame, bearing chiefly on one leg; to walk with a hitch or hop, or with crutches. The friar was hobbling the same way too. --Dryden. 2. To move roughly or irregularly; -- said of style in writing. --Prior. The hobbling versification, the mean diction. --Jeffreys.
Hob"ble\, n. 1. An unequal gait; a limp; a halt; as, he has a hobble in his gait. --Swift. 2. Same as Hopple. 3. Difficulty; perplexity; embarrassment. --Waterton.
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Audio Help [hob-uh
