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more about hobbyhorse
hobbyhorse |
2 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Hobby \Hob"by\, Hobbyhorse \Hob"by*horse`\, n. [OE. hobin a nag, OF hobin hobby; cf hober to stir, move prob. of German or Scand. origin; cf Dan. hoppe a mare, dial. Sw hoppa; perh. akin to E. hop to jump.] 1. A strong, active horse, of a middle size, said to have been originally from Ireland; an ambling nag. --Johnson. 2. A stick, often with the head or figure of a horse, on which boys make believe to ride. [ Usually under the form {hobbyhorse}.] 3. A subject or plan upon which one is constantly setting off a favorite and ever-recurring theme of discourse, thought, or effort; that which occupies one's attention unduly, or to the weariness of others a ruling passion. [Usually under the form {hobby}.] Not one of them has any hobbyhorse, to use the phrase of Sterne. --Macaulay. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: hobbyhorse n 1: a topic to which on constantly reverts: "don't get him started on his hobbyhorse" 2: a child's plaything consisting of an imitation horsehead on one end of a stick; the child straddles it an pretends to ride [syn: {hobby}, {rocking horse}, {cockhorse}, {stick horse}]
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