'Obby 'Oss

noun

A male dancer dressed as a horse who cavorts through the town pretending to capture young maidens, as part of a May Day festival in Padstow, Cornwall, England.

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Meanings

noun'Obby 'Oss (plural 'Obby 'Osses)

plural 'Obby 'Osses

  1. UKA male dancer dressed as a horse who cavorts through the town pretending to capture young maidens, as part of a May Day festival in Padstow, Cornwall, England.

Origin

From hobby horse, with h-dropping characteristic of West Country English. Compare hoss.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

'Obby 'Oss. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/'Obby%20'Oss

MLA

“'Obby 'Oss.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/'Obby%20'Oss. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “'Obby 'Oss,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/'Obby%20'Oss.

Source: 'Obby 'Oss on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.