Quantcast
 
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Synonyms
Nearby Words

hobgoblin

 - 5 dictionary results

hob⋅gob⋅lin

  [hob-gob-lin]
–noun
1. something causing superstitious fear; a bogy.
2. a mischievous goblin.
3. (initial capital letter) Puck (def. 1).
Use hobgoblin in a Sentence
Origin:
1520–30; hob 2 + goblin

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
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
Cite This Source Link To hobgoblin
hob·gob·lin   (hŏb'gŏb'lĭn)   
n.  

  1. An ugly, mischievous elf or goblin.

  2. An object or a source of fear, dread, or harassment; a bugbear: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds" (Ralph Waldo Emerson).

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

Puck 
"mischievous fairy" (in "A Midsummer Night's Dream"), probably from pouke "devil, evil spirit" (c.1300), from O.E. puca, cognate with O.N. puki "devil," of unknown origin (cf. pug). Capitalized since 16c. His disguised name was Robin Goodfellow.

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
Cite This Source
Search another word or see hobgoblin on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
ExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyThe Daily BeastUrbanspoonAsk AnswersBloglinesSendori