Hypertext Webster Gateway: "hobby"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Hobby \Hob"by\, n.; pl. {Hobbies}. [OE. hobi; cf. OF. hobe,
hob['e], F. hobereau a hobby, a species of falcon. OF. hober
to move, stir. Cf. {Hobby} a horse.] (Zo["o]l.)
A small, strong-winged European falcon ({Falco subbuteo}),
formerly trained for hawking.
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) 1.7 (wn)
hobby
n 1: an auxiliary activity [syn: {avocation}, {by-line}, {sideline},
{spare-time activity}]
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: {hobbyhorse}, {rocking horse}, {cockhorse}, {stick
horse}]
3: small Old World falcon formerly trained and flown at small
birds [syn: {Falco subbuteo}]
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