*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of hob

Related to hub, but the ultimate origin of both words is obscure.

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
noun

A kind of cutting tool, used to cut the teeth of a gear. · The flat projection or iron shelf at the side of a fire grate, where things are put to be kept warm. · The top cooking surface on a cooker. It typically comprises several cooking elements (often four), usually called rings. · A rounded peg used as a target in several games, especially in quoits.

verb

To create (a gear) by cutting with a hob. · To engage in the process of cutting gears with a hob.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Related to hub, but the ultimate origin of both words is obscure.

This page abbreviates 2 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "links": [
    [
      "hub",
      "hub#English"
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  ],
  "references": [],
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        "A kind of cutting tool, used to cut the teeth of a gear.",
        "The flat projection or iron shelf at the side of a fire grate, where things are put to be kept warm.",
        "The top cooking surface on a cooker. It typically comprises several cooking elements (often four), usually called rings.",
        "A rounded peg used as a target in several games, especially in quoits."
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        "To create (a gear) by cutting with a hob.",
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A fairy; a sprite; an elf; a bogey. · A countryman; a rustic or yokel.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English Hob (a diminutive of Robin, an Old French [Term?] diminutive of Robert), through its connection with Robin Goodfellow and (later) the devil. Compare hobgoblin; see robin.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentionHobenm
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "2": "fro"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French [Term?]"
    }
  ],
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    ],
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      "Robert#English"
    ],
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      "Robin Goodfellow"
    ],
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for hob →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-aG9i