hobnob
(redirected from hobnobs)Also found in: Thesaurus, Idioms.
hob·nob
(hŏb′nŏb′)intr.v. hob·nobbed, hob·nob·bing, hob·nobs
To associate familiarly: hobnobs with the executives.
[Earlier hob-or-nob, hob-nob, to toast or drink to each other alternately, drink together, from hob or nob, hob a nob, hob nob, give or take, hit or miss, however it may turn out (spoken as a toast when clinking glasses), alteration of obsolete and dialectal hab nab (perhaps originally meaning "have or have not") : probably Middle English habbe, singular present subjunctive of Middle English haven, habben, to have; see have + Middle English nabbe, have not, singular present subjunctive of nabben, not to have (from Old English nabban : ne, not; see ne in Indo-European roots + habban, to have; see have).]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
hobnob
(ˈhɒbˌnɒb)vb, -nobs, -nobbing or -nobbed
1. to socialize or talk informally
2. obsolete to drink (with)
[C18: from hob or nob to drink to one another in turns, hence, to be familiar, ultimately from Old English habban to have + nabban not to have]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
hob•nob
(ˈhɒbˌnɒb)v.i. -nobbed, -nob•bing,
to associate on very friendly terms: to hobnob with royalty.
[1595–1605; from the phrase hab or nab literally, have or have not]
hob′nob`ber, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
hobnob
Past participle: hobnobbed
Gerund: hobnobbing
| Imperative |
|---|
| hobnob |
| hobnob |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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| Verb | 1. | hobnob - rub elbows with; "He hobnobs with the best of society" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
hobnob
verb socialize, mix, associate, hang out (informal), mingle, consort, hang about, keep company, fraternize an opportunity to hobnob with the company's president
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
hobnob
verbTo be with as a companion:
Slang: hang out.
Idiom: rub elbows.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.