hobby

Meaning

Noun

• An activity that one enjoys doing in one's spare time.
• An extinct breed of horse native to the British Isles, also known as the Irish Hobby
• Any of four species of small falcons in the genus Falco, especially Falco subbuteo.

Origin

• , of Germanic origin: from Old French hober, ober, from Old Dutch hobben ("to toss, move up and down"); or from North Germanic origin related to Danish hoppe ("a mare"), Old Swedish hoppa ("a young mare"), North Frisian hoppe ("horse"); both ultimately from Proto-Germanic *huppōną ("to hop"), from Proto-Indo-European *kewb- ("to bend; a bend, joint"). More at hop, hobble.
• The meaning of hobby-horse shifted from "small horse, pony" to "child's toy riding horse" to "favorite pastime or avocation" with the connecting notion being "activity that doesn't go anywhere". Possibly originally from a proper name for a horse, a diminutive of Robert or Robin (compare dobbin).
• From Old French hobet, from Medieval Latin hopētus, diminutive of harpe.