Adjacent Words

Hobble definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

HOB'BLE, v.i.
1. To walk lamely, bearing chiefly on one leg; to limp; to walk with a hitch or hop, or with crutches.
The friar was hobbling the same way too.
2. To walk awkwardly, as when the feet are encumbered with a clog, or with fetters.
3. To move roughly or irregularly, as verse.
While you Pindaric truths rehearse,
She hobbles in alternate verse.
HOB'BLE, v.t. To perplex. [Not in use.]
HOB'BLE, n. An unequal halting gait; an encumbered awkward step.
He has a hobble in his gait.
1. Difficulty; perplexity.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a shackle for the ankles or feet [syn: fetter, hobble]
2: the uneven manner of walking that results from an injured leg [syn: hitch, hobble, limp] v
1: walk impeded by some physical limitation or injury; "The old woman hobbles down to the store every day" [syn: limp, gimp, hobble, hitch]
2: hamper the action or progress of; "The chairman was hobbled by the all-powerful dean"
3: strap the foreleg and hind leg together on each side (of a horse) in order to keep the legs on the same side moving in unison; "hobble race horses" [syn: hopple, hobble]

Merriam Webster's

I. verb (hobbled; hobbling) Etymology: Middle English hoblen; akin to Middle Dutch hobbelen to turn, roll Date: 14th century intransitive verb to move along unsteadily or with difficulty; especially to limp along transitive verb 1. to cause to limp ; make lame ; cripple 2. [probably alteration of hopple to hobble] a. to fasten together the legs of (as a horse) to prevent straying ; fetter b. to place under handicap ; hamper, impede • hobbler noun II. noun Date: 1726 1. a hobbling movement 2. archaic an awkward situation 3. something used to hobble an animal

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. & n. --v. 1 intr. a walk lamely; limp. b proceed haltingly in action or speech (hobbled lamely to his conclusion). 2 tr. a tie together the legs of (a horse etc.) to prevent it from straying. b tie (a horse's etc. legs). 3 tr. cause (a person etc.) to limp. --n. 1 an uneven or infirm gait. 2 a rope, clog, etc. used for hobbling a horse etc. Phrases and idioms: hobble skirt a skirt so narrow at the hem as to impede walking. Derivatives: hobbler n. Etymology: ME, prob. f. LG: cf. HOPPLE and Du. hobbelen rock from side to side

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Hobble Hob"ble, n. i. [imp. & p. p. Hobbled; p. pr. & vb. n. Hobbling.] [OE. hobelen, hoblen, freq. of hoppen to hop; akin to D. hobbelen, hoblen, hoppeln. See Hop to jump, and cf. Hopple ] 1. To walk lame, bearing chiefly on one leg; to walk with a hitch or hop, or with crutches. The friar was hobbling the same way too. --Dryden. 2. To move roughly or irregularly; -- said of style in writing. --Prior. The hobbling versification, the mean diction. --Jeffreys.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Hobble Hob"ble, v. t. 1. To fetter by tying the legs; to hopple; to clog. `` They hobbled their horses.'' --Dickens 2. To perplex; to embarrass.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Hobble Hob"ble, n. 1. An unequal gait; a limp; a halt; as, he has a hobble in his gait. --Swift. 2. Same as Hopple. 3. Difficulty; perplexity; embarrassment. --Waterton.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(hobbles, hobbling, hobbled) 1. If you hobble, you walk in an awkward way with small steps, for example because your foot is injured. He got up slowly and hobbled over to the coffee table... The swelling had begun to go down, and he was able, with pain, to hobble. VERB: V adv/prep, V 2. To hobble something or someone means to make it more difficult for them to be successful or to achieve what they want. The poverty of 10 million citizens not only demeans our society but its cost also hobbles our economy. VERB: V n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. n. Limp, halt, hop, walk lamely. II. v. a. Fetter, hopple. III. n. 1. Limp, halt. 2. Perplexity, embarrassment, difficulty, strait, pickle.

Moby Thesaurus

amble, anchor, andante, barge, bind, bowl along, bridle, bundle, burden, castrate, chain, claudicate, claudication, clog, clump, clutch, complication, cramp, crawl, creep, cripple, crunch, cumber, curb, dead march, deflate, disable, disarm, dodder, dogtrot, drag, drag along, drag out, droop, emasculate, embarrass, embarrassing position, embarrassment, enchain, encumber, enmesh, ensnarl, entangle, entoil, entrammel, entrap, entwine, falter, fasten, fetter, fine how-do-you-do, flounce, foot, footpace, footslog, funeral march, gag, gait, gallop, go dead slow, go slow, gyve, halt, hamper, hamstring, handcuff, handicap, hell to pay, hinder, hippety-hop, hitch, hog-tie, hop, hopple, hot water, how-do-you-do, idle, imbroglio, impede, incapacitate, inch, inch along, involve, jam, jog, jog trot, jog-trot, jolt, jump, knock out, lame, lash, laze, leash, leisurely gait, lime, limp, lock step, lumber, lumbering pace, lunge, lurch, maim, make fast, manacle, mess, mince, mincing steps, mix, moor, morass, mosey, muzzle, net, pace, paddle, paralyze, parlous straits, pass, peg, peg down, piaffe, piaffer, picket, pickle, pin down, pinch, pinion, plight, plod, poke, poke along, prance, predicament, press down, pretty pass, pretty pickle, pretty predicament, prostrate, put in irons, quagmire, quicksand, rack, reel, restrain, restrict, roll, rope, saddle with, sashay, saunter, scrape, scuff, scuffle, scuttle, secure, shackle, shamble, shuffle, shuffle along, sidle, silence, single-foot, skip, slink, slither, slog, slouch, slough, slow march, slow motion, slowness, snarl, spot, squeeze, stagger, stagger along, stalk, stamp, step, stew, sticky wicket, stomp, straddle, straggle, strait, straitjacket, straits, strangle, strap, stride, stroll, strolling gait, strut, stumble, stump, swagger, swamp, swing, tangle, tether, throttle, tie, tie down, tie up, tight spot, tight squeeze, tightrope, tittup, toddle, toddle along, toil, totter, totter along, traipse, trammel, tread, tricky spot, trip, trot, trudge, truss up, unholy mess, velocity, waddle, walk, wamble, weave, weigh down, wiggle, wing, wobble, worm, worm along