First published 1898; not yet revised More entries for "hobgoblin"
hobgoblinnoun (& adjective)
Factsheet
What does the noun hobgoblin mean?
There are four meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun hobgoblin. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
hobgoblin has developed meanings and uses in subjects including
Entry status
OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.
How common is the noun hobgoblin?
About 0.1occurrences per million words in modern written English
| 1750 | 0.26 |
| 1760 | 0.24 |
| 1770 | 0.25 |
| 1780 | 0.28 |
| 1790 | 0.26 |
| 1800 | 0.29 |
| 1810 | 0.3 |
| 1820 | 0.31 |
| 1830 | 0.3 |
| 1840 | 0.3 |
| 1850 | 0.3 |
| 1860 | 0.32 |
| 1870 | 0.32 |
| 1880 | 0.32 |
| 1890 | 0.3 |
| 1900 | 0.29 |
| 1910 | 0.26 |
| 1920 | 0.23 |
| 1930 | 0.2 |
| 1940 | 0.19 |
| 1950 | 0.17 |
| 1960 | 0.14 |
| 1970 | 0.12 |
| 1980 | 0.12 |
| 1990 | 0.12 |
| 2000 | 0.11 |
| 2010 | 0.12 |
How is the noun hobgoblin pronounced?
British English
/ˌhɒbˈɡɒblɪn/
hob-GOB-lin
/ˈhɒbˌɡɒblɪn/
HOB-gob-lin
U.S. English
/ˈhɑbˌɡɑblən/
HAHB-gah-bluhn
Where does the noun hobgoblin come from?
Earliest known use
mid 1500s
The earliest known use of the noun hobgoblin is in the mid 1500s.
OED's earliest evidence for hobgoblin is from 1530, in the writing of John Palsgrave, teacher and scholar of languages.
hobgoblin is formed within English, by compounding.
Etymons: Hob n.1 2, goblin n.1
Nearby entries
- hobby-horsical, adj.1761–
- hobby-horsiness, n.1881–
- hobbyism, n.1846–
- hobbyist, n.1871–
- hobbyless, adj.1870–
- hob-clunch, n.1578
- Hob Collingwood, n.1825–
- hobday, v.1938–
- hob-end, n.1870–
- hoberd, n.c1450
- hobgoblin, n.1530–
- hobgoblin, v.1707–
- hobgoblinet, n.1615–
- hobgoblinism, n.1836–
- hobgoblinry, n.1843–
- hob-grate, n.1915–
- hobhouchin, n.1682–
- hobidy-booby, n.?1710
- hob-job, n.1857–
- hob-job, v.1873–
- hob-jobber, n.1873–
Etymology
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Meaning & use
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Pronunciation
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Forms
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Frequency
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Compounds & derived words
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Entry history for hobgoblin, n.
hobgoblin, n. was first published in 1898; not yet revised.
hobgoblin, n. was last modified in September 2023.
Revision of the OED is a long-term project. Entries in oed.com which have not been revised may include:
- corrections and revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
- new senses, phrases, and quotations which have been added in subsequent print and online updates.
Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into hobgoblin, n. in September 2023.
Earlier versions of this entry were published in:
OED First Edition (1898)
OED Second Edition (1989)
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Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “,” , .
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Citation details
Factsheet for hobgoblin, n.
Browse entry
Nearby entries
- hobby-horsical, adj.1761–
- hobby-horsiness, n.1881–
- hobbyism, n.1846–
- hobbyist, n.1871–
- hobbyless, adj.1870–
- hob-clunch, n.1578
- Hob Collingwood, n.1825–
- hobday, v.1938–
- hob-end, n.1870–
- hoberd, n.c1450
- hobgoblin, n.1530–
- hobgoblin, v.1707–
- hobgoblinet, n.1615–
- hobgoblinism, n.1836–
- hobgoblinry, n.1843–
- hob-grate, n.1915–
- hobhouchin, n.1682–
- hobidy-booby, n.?1710
- hob-job, n.1857–
- hob-job, v.1873–
- hob-jobber, n.1873–
