1
a
: a figure of a horse fastened about the waist in the morris dance
b
: a dancer wearing this figure
2
obsolete : buffoon
3
a
: a stick having an imitation horse's head at one end that a child pretends to ride
c
: a toy horse suspended by springs from a frame
4
a
: a topic to which one constantly reverts

Did you know?

Does your favorite hobby involve a horse? Whether it does or not, the word hobby is undeniably equine: it’s a shortening of the older term hobbyhorse. And in a strange etymological twist, the word hobbyhorse is itself a product of an older word hobby that in the 1400s referred to a small or medium-sized horse, especially one that moved at a gentle pace. By the mid 1500s, hobby horse was being used to refer to a horse costume worn by a person participating in a morris dance or other performance, and then to a toy consisting of a stick with a toy horse's head at one end that a child pretends to ride. By the next century the literal horse was unneeded, and hobbyhorse could refer to a favorite pursuit or pastime—that is, our modern hobby. From pastime, the meaning of hobbyhorse was extended to “a subject that someone returns to repeatedly, especially in conversation.” This sense is typically encountered in such phrases as “get on one’s hobbyhorse” or “ride one’s hobbyhorse.”

Examples of hobbyhorse in a Sentence

Once he gets on his hobbyhorse and starts talking about taxes, you can't get him to discuss anything else. She's been riding that hobbyhorse for months.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Throw these men off their hobbyhorses, off the tracks of their discourse. James Parker, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2025 Never mind the crime issue or that favorite Trumpian hobbyhorse, immigration and the border. Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

hobby small light horse, from Middle English hoby, hobyn, perhaps from Hobbin, nickname for Robert or Robin

First Known Use

circa 1553, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of hobbyhorse was circa 1553

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Cite this Entry

“Hobbyhorse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hobbyhorse. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

hobbyhorse

noun
1
: a stick with an imitation horse's head at one end that a child pretends to ride
2
3
: a toy horse hung by springs from a frame
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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