Part 855

Tennyson.

Hob"nailed` (?), a. See with hobnails, as a shoe.

Hob"nob` (?), adv. [AS. habban to have + habban to have not; ne not + habban to have. See Have, and cf. Habnab.] 1. Have or have not; -- a familiar invitation to reciprocal drinking. Shak.

2. At random; hit or miss. (Obs.) Holinshed.

Hob"nob`, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Hornobbed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Hornobbing.] 1. To drink familiarly (with another). [ Written also hob-a-nob.]

2. To associate familiarly; to be on intimate terms.

Hob"nob`, n. Familiar, social intercourse. W. Black.

Hob"or*nob` (?), adv. See Hobnob.

Ho"boy (?), n. A hautboy or oboe. [Obs.]

Hob"son's choice" (?). A choice without an alternative; the thing offered or nothing.

It is said to have had its origin in the name of one Hobson, at Cambridge, England, who let horses, and required every customer to take in his turn the horse which stood next the stable door.

Hoc"co (?), n. (Zoˆl.) The crested curassow; -- called also royal pheasant. See Curassow.

Hoche"pot (?), n. Hotchpot. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Hock (?), n. [So called from Hochheim, in Germany.] A Rhenish wine, of a light yellow color, either sparkling or still. The name is also given indiscriminately to all Rhenish wines.

Hock, Hough (&?;), n. [ AS. h&?;h the heel; prob. akin to Icel. hsinn hock sinew, Dan. hasc, G. hechse, h‰chse, LG. hacke, D. hak; also to L. coxa hip (cf. Cuisses), Skr. kaksha armpit. √12. Cf. Heel.] 1. (a) The joint in the hind limb of quadrupeds between the leg and shank, or tibia and tarsus, and corresponding to the ankle in man. (b) A piece cut by butchers, esp. in pork, from either the front or hind leg, just above the foot.

2. The popliteal space; the ham.

Hock, v. t. To disable by cutting the tendons of the hock; to hamstring; to hough.

Hock"a*more (?), n. [See 1st Hock.] A Rhenish wine. [Obs.] See Hock. Hudibras.

Hock"day` (?), n. [Cf. AS. hcor mockery, scorn.] A holiday commemorating the expulsion of the Danes, formerly observed on the second Tuesday after Easter; -- called also hocktide. [Eng.] [Written also hokeday.]

Hock"ey (?), n. [From Hook, n.] 1. A game in which two parties of players, armed with sticks curved or hooked at the end, attempt to drive any small object (as a ball or a bit of wood) toward opposite goals.

2. The stick used by the players. [Written also hookey and hawkey.]

Hock"herb` (?), n. (Bot.) The mallow.

Hoc"kle (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Hockled(?); p. pr. & vb. n. Hockling (?).] [From 2d Hock.] 1. To hamstring; to hock; to hough. Hanmer.

2. To mow, as stubble. Mason.

Ho"cus (?), v. t. [See Hocus- pocus.] 1. To deceive or cheat. Halliwell.

2. To adulterate; to drug; as, liquor is said to be hocused for the purpose of stupefying the drinker. Dickens.

3. To stupefy with drugged liquor. Thackeray.

Ho"cus, n. 1. One who cheats or deceives. South.