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hobble

 - 4 dictionary results

hob⋅ble

  [hob-uhl] verb, -bled, -bling, noun
Use hobble in a Sentence
–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.
–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; ME hobelen, appar. akin to hob protuberance, uneven ground, and to D hobbelen, G hoppeln to jolt

Related forms:
hobbler, noun

Synonyms:
5. hinder, restrict, frustrate, cramp.

Antonyms:
5. aid, assist, benefit.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To hobble
hob·ble   (hŏb'əl)   
v.   hob·bled, hob·bling, hob·bles

v.   intr.
To walk or move along haltingly or with difficulty; limp.
v.   tr.

  1. To put a device around the legs of (a horse, for example) so as to hamper but not prevent movement.

  2. To cause to limp.

  3. To hamper the action or progress of; impede. See Synonyms at hamper1.

n.  

  1. A hobbling walk or gait.

  2. A device, such as a rope or strap, used to hobble an animal.

  3. Archaic An awkward situation.


[Middle English hobblen, of Low German origin; akin to Middle Dutch hobbelen, to roll.]
hob'bler n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: 1hob·ble
Pronunciation: 'häb-&l
Function: verb
Inflected Forms: hob·bled; hob·bling /-(&-)li[ng]/
intransitive senses
: to move along unsteadily or with difficulty; especially : to limp along hobble transitivesenses
1 : to cause to limp : make lame : CRIPPLE
2 : to fastentogether the legs of (as a horse) to prevent straying

Main Entry: 2hobble
Function: noun
: something used to hobble an animal
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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