What is "hobby"

Hobby \Hob"by\, Hobbyhorse \Hob"by*horse`\, n. [OE. hobin a nag, OF. hobin hobby; cf. hober to stir, move; prob. of German or Scand. origin; cf. Dan. hoppe a mare, dial. Sw. hoppa; perh. akin to E. hop to jump.]

1. A strong, active horse, of a middle size, said to have been originally from Ireland; an ambling nag.
   --Johnson.

2. A stick, often with the head or figure of a horse, on which boys make believe to ride. [ Usually under the form hobbyhorse.]

3. A subject or plan upon which one is constantly setting off; a favorite and ever-recurring theme of discourse, thought, or effort; that which occupies one's attention unduly, or to the weariness of others; a ruling passion.

   Not one of them has any hobbyhorse, to use the phrase of Sterne.
   --Macaulay.

late 13c., hobyn, "small horse, pony," later "mock horse used in the morris dance," and c.1550 "child's toy riding horse," which led to hobby-horse in a transferred sense of "favorite pastime or avocation," first recorded 1670s, shortened to hobby by 1816. The connecting notion being "activity that doesn't go anywhere." Probably originally a proper name for a horse (see dobbin), a diminutive of Robert or Robin. The original hobbyhorse was a "Tourney Horse," a wooden or basketwork frame worn around the waist and held on with shoulder straps, with a fake tail and horse head attached, so the wearer appears to be riding a horse. These were part of church and civic celebrations at Midsummer and New Year's throughout England.

Etymology 1 n. 1 An activity that one enjoys doing in one's spare time. 2 (context horses English) An extinct breed of horse native to the British Isles, also known as the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish%20Hobby Etymology 2

n. Any of four species of small falcons in the genus ''Falco'', especially ''Falco subbuteo''.

1. n. an auxiliary activity [syn: avocation, by-line, sideline, spare-time activity]

2. a child's plaything consisting of an imitation horse mounted on rockers; the child straddles it and pretends to ride [syn: hobbyhorse, rocking horse]

3. small Old World falcon formerly trained and flown at small birds [syn: Falco subbuteo]

A hobby is an activity done regularly for pleasure.

Hobby may also refer to:

• Hobby (surname)
• Hobby (bird), a small, very swift falcon
• Irish Hobby, a type of horse ridden by Hobelars in the Middle Ages
• Hobby Airport, a public airport serving the Houston, Texas, area in the United States
• Hobbyist, slang for a sex client soliciting online

A hobby is a regular activity that is done for enjoyment, typically during one's leisure time. Hobbies can include collecting themed items and objects, engaging in creative and artistic pursuits, playing sports, or pursuing other amusements. A list of hobbies is lengthy and always changing as interests and fashions change. By continually participating in a particular hobby, one can acquire substantial skill and knowledge in that area. Engagement in hobbies has increased since the late nineteenth century as workers have more leisure time and advancing production and technology have provided more support for leisure activities. As some hobbies have become less popular, like stamp collecting, others have been created following technological advances, like video games.

Hobbyists are a part of a wider group of people engaged in leisure pursuits where the boundaries of each group overlap to some extent. The Serious Leisure Perspective groups hobbyists with amateurs and volunteers and identifies three broad groups of leisure activity with hobbies being found mainly in the Serious leisure category.

a. Casual leisure is intrinsically rewarding, short-lived, pleasurable activity requiring little or no preparation

b. Serious leisure is the systematic pursuit of an amateur, hobbyist, or volunteer that is substantial, rewarding and results in a sense of accomplishment.

c. Project-based leisure is a short-term often a one-off project that is rewarding.

A hobby is a fairly small, very swift falcon with long, narrow wings. There are four birds called hobby, and some others which, although termed falcon, are very similar. All specialise in being superb aerialists. Although they will take prey on the ground if the opportunity presents itself, most prey is caught on the wing; insects are often caught by hawking, and many different birds are caught in flight, where even the quick maneuvering swifts and swallows cannot escape a hobby.

The typical hobbies are traditionally considered a subgenus Hypotriorchis due to their similar morphology: they have ample amounts of dark slaty grey in their plumage; the malar area is black and the underside usually has lengthwise black streaks. The tails are all-dark or have only slight bands (White et al. 1994).

Monophyly of Hypotriorchis is supported by DNA sequence data, though the exact limits of the group are still uncertain. The hobbies seem to be one of the Falco lineages which emerged around the Miocene- Pliocene boundary some 8-5 million years ago and subsequently radiated - in this case throughout the Old World. Their relationship to the peregrine falcon group and the kestrels is not well resolved, however; taxa like the red-footed falcon appear in some respects intermediate between the kestrels and the typical hobbies.

• Eurasian hobby (Falco subbuteo), also known as the northern hobby.
• African hobby (Falco cuvierii).
• Oriental hobby (Falco severus).
• Australian hobby or little falcon (Falco longipennis) is uncommon but widespread in Australia. During the southern winter, some birds migrate to the north of the continent or to the islands of South-east Asia.
• Sooty falcon (Falco concolor) of the North African desert.
• Eleonora's falcon (Falco eleonorae) occupies the Mediterranean area during the northern summer, and migrates south to Madagascar for the southern summer.

The following species are tentatively placed here:

• New Zealand falcon or kārearea (Falco novaeseelandiae).
• Brown falcon (Falco berigora)
• Taita falcon (Falco fasciinucha)

Hobby is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:

• Alfred Marmaduke Hobby (1836–1881), American merchant, politician, and poet, and Confederate States of America military officer
• James H. Hobby (1835–1882), United States Navy officer for whom a U.S. Navy ship was named
• Oveta Culp Hobby (1905–1995), American publisher, federal government official, and Women's Army Corps officer
• Sir Philip Hobby, an alternative spelling for Sir Philip Hoby (1505–1558), sometimes also spelled Sir Philip Hobbye, an English ambassador
• William M. Hobby, Jr., (1899–1942), United States Navy officer killed in action during World War II for whom a U.S. Navy ship was named
• William P. Hobby (1878–1964), American publisher and politician and the father of William P. Hobby, Jr.
• William P. Hobby, Jr. (born 1932), American publisher and politician and the son of William P. Hobby