Meanings
plural hobbles
- in pluralOne of the short straps tied between the legs of unfenced horses, allowing them to wander short distances but preventing them from running off.
- An unsteady, off-balance step.
We made it and we hobbled up the stairs. Or I hobbled. My sons didn't hobble, I hobbled.
2017, Sam Shepard, chapter 37, in Spy of the First Person, →ISBN, page 82 - archaicinformalA difficult situation; a scrape.
"Saddle a horse—any horse—only let him be sure and fleet," cried Ashwoode, "and I'll pay you his price thrice over!" "Well, it's a bargain," replied the groom, promptly; "I don't like to see a gentleman caught in a hobble, if I can help him out of it. […]
1845, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, The Cock and Anchor - NewfoundlandUKdialectalAn odd job; a piece of casual work.
present singular third person hobbles · participle present hobbling · participle past hobbled · past hobbled
- To walk lame, or unevenly.
The friar was hobbling the same way too.
1681, John Dryden, The Spanish Fryar: Or, the Double Discovery. […], London: […] Richard Tonson and Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, (please specify the page number)1 more example
Pepa runs all over Madrid in high heels and tube skirts that make her hobble and give the impression of restraining a naturally energetic woman.
1988 December 25, Michael Bronski, “Passion Statement”, in Gay Community News, volume 16, number 24, page 11Synonyms: hirple
- figurativelyTo move or proceed roughly or irregularly.
The hobbling versification, the mean diction.
1815, William Wordsworth, The White Doe of Rylstone
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo walk lame, or unevenly.
More synonyms by meaning
verbstrap 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
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englishhobblen
- Englishhobble
From Middle English hobblen, hobelen, akin to Middle Dutch hoblen, hobbelen (Modern Dutch hobbelen), Middle High German hoppeln (“to hop, limp, hobble”).
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic شِكَال, عِقَال
- شِكَال (šikāl)Short straps tied between the legs of unfenced horses
- عِقَال (ʕiqāl)Short straps tied between the legs of unfenced horses
- شَكَلَ (šakala)To restrict a horse with hobbles
Basque peya
- peyaShort straps tied between the legs of unfenced horses
Bulgarian букаи́, спъвам
- букаи́ (bukaí)Short straps tied between the legs of unfenced horses
- спъвам (spăvam)To restrict a horse with hobbles
- куцам (kucam)To walk unevenly
Czech řemen, belhání
- řemenShort straps tied between the legs of unfenced horses
- belháníAn unsteady, off-balance step
- kulháníAn unsteady, off-balance step
- belhat seTo walk unevenly
- kulhatTo walk unevenly
- pajdatTo walk unevenly
Danish fodreb, humpen
- fodrebShort straps tied between the legs of unfenced horses
- humpenAn unsteady, off-balance step
- humpeTo walk unevenly
- halteTo walk unevenly
Finnish kammitsa, nilkutus
- kammitsaShort straps tied between the legs of unfenced horses
- nilkutusAn unsteady, off-balance step
- kammitsoidaTo restrict a horse with hobbles
- ontuaTo walk unevenly
- nilkuttaaTo walk unevenly
French entrave, abot
- entraveShort straps tied between the legs of unfenced horses
- abotShort straps tied between the legs of unfenced horses
- boiterTo walk unevenly
German Fußfessel, Spannstrick
- FußfesselShort straps tied between the legs of unfenced horses
- SpannstrickShort straps tied between the legs of unfenced horses
Greek πέδικλο, πεδίκλωμα
- πέδικλο (pédiklo)Short straps tied between the legs of unfenced horses
- πεδίκλωμα (pedíkloma)An unsteady, off-balance step
Irish habal
- habalAn unsteady, off-balance step
Italian pastoia, ceppi
- pastoiaShort straps tied between the legs of unfenced horses
- ceppiShort straps tied between the legs of unfenced horses
- lacciShort straps tied between the legs of unfenced horses
- traballamentoAn unsteady, off-balance step
- barcollamentoAn unsteady, off-balance step
- vacillamentoAn unsteady, off-balance step
- sbilanciamentoAn unsteady, off-balance step
Latin pedica
- pedicaShort straps tied between the legs of unfenced horses
Māori herehere waewae, herehere ngā waewae
- herehere waewaeShort straps tied between the legs of unfenced horses
- herehere ngā waewaeTo restrict a horse with hobbles
- whakatikiTo restrict a horse with hobbles
- totitotiTo walk unevenly
- kokekokeTo walk unevenly
Norwegian Bokmål lenke, fotlenke
- lenkeShort straps tied between the legs of unfenced horses
- fotlenkeShort straps tied between the legs of unfenced horses
- humpingAn unsteady, off-balance step
- haltingAn unsteady, off-balance step
- halteTo restrict a horse with hobbles
- humpeTo restrict a horse with hobbles
- halteTo walk unevenly
- humpeTo walk unevenly
Persian اشکیل
- اشکیل (eškil)Short straps tied between the legs of unfenced horses
Polish pęta, kulenie
- pętaShort straps tied between the legs of unfenced horses
- kulenieAn unsteady, off-balance step
- kuśtykanieAn unsteady, off-balance step
- pętaćTo restrict a horse with hobbles
- spętaćTo restrict a horse with hobbles
- kuśtykaćTo walk unevenly
- pokuśtykaćTo walk unevenly
- przykuśtykaćTo walk unevenly
- kulećTo walk unevenly
Russian трено́га, пу́ты
- трено́га (trenóga)Short straps tied between the legs of unfenced horses
- пу́ты (púty)Short straps tied between the legs of unfenced horses
- ковыля́ние (kovyljánije)An unsteady, off-balance step
- трено́жить (trenóžitʹ)To restrict a horse with hobbles
- ковыля́ть (kovyljátʹ)To walk unevenly
- хрома́ть (xromátʹ)To walk unevenly
Spanish manea, suelta
- maneaShort straps tied between the legs of unfenced horses
- sueltaShort straps tied between the legs of unfenced horses
- ataduraShort straps tied between the legs of unfenced horses
- manearTo restrict a horse with hobbles
Turkish bukağı, köstek
- bukağıShort straps tied between the legs of unfenced horses
- köstekShort straps tied between the legs of unfenced horses
- aksamaAn unsteady, off-balance step
- kösteklemekTo restrict a horse with hobbles
- aksamakTo walk unevenly
- topallamakTo walk unevenly
Ukrainian пута, кульгання
- пута (puta)Short straps tied between the legs of unfenced horses
- кульгання (kulʹhannja)An unsteady, off-balance step
- шкандибання (škandybannja)An unsteady, off-balance step
- спутувати (sputuvaty)To restrict a horse with hobbles
- триножити (trynožyty)To restrict a horse with hobbles
- кульгати (kulʹhaty)To walk unevenly
- шкандиба́ти (škandybáty)To walk unevenly
- шкутильгати (škutylʹhaty)To walk unevenly
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with hobble
All rhymes →Cite this entry
hobble. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hobble
“hobble.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hobble. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hobble,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hobble.
Source: hobble on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.