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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.
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Hobbling
is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
| a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare. |
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. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
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Link To hobbling
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,
EXPAND hinder" is c.1870.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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