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hobgoblin
- 5 dictionary resultshob⋅gob⋅lin
[hob-gob-lin]
–noun
| 1. | something causing superstitious fear; a bogy. |
| 2. | a mischievous goblin. |
| 3. | (initial capital letter ) Puck (def. 1). |
Puck
[puhk]
–noun
| 1. | Also called Hobgoblin, Robin Goodfellow. a particularly mischievous sprite in English folklore who appears as a character in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. |
| 2. | (lowercase ) a malicious or mischievous demon or spirit; a goblin. |
Origin:
bef. 1000; ME pouke, OE pūca; c. ON pūki a mischievous demon
bef. 1000; ME pouke, OE pūca; c. ON pūki a mischievous demon

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To hobgoblin
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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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Hobgoblin
Hob"gob`lin\, n. [See 2d Hob, and Goblin.] A frightful goblin; an imp; a bugaboo; also, a name formerly given to the household spirit, Robin Goodfellow. --Macaulay.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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hobgoblin
1530, from hob "elf," from Hobbe, a variant of Rob (cf. Hick for Richard, Hodge for Rodger, etc.), short for Robin Goodfellow, elf character in Ger. folklore, + goblin. The original hobbyhorse was a "Tourney Horse," a wooden or basketwork frame worn around the waist and held on with shoulder straps, with a fake tail and horse head attached, so the wearer appears to be riding a horse. These were part of church and civic celebrations at Midsummer and New Year's throughout England.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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