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hobble

hob·ble

Today it means: One of the short straps tied between the legs of unfenced horses, allowing them to wander short distances but preventing them from running off. Full definition →

Middle English hobblen

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The story

Middle English · inherited fromhobblen
English todayhobble

From Middle English hobblen, hobelen, akin to Middle Dutch hoblen, hobbelen (Modern Dutch hobbelen), Middle High German hoppeln (“to hop, limp, hobble”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.