noun
hob
A mischievous household spirit in folklore.
In the tale, a hob hides the family's keys each night.
Etymology
Hob was a familiar form of the name Robert. It was applied to household spirits, giving a supernatural figure an ordinary familiar personal name.
More examples
- The children blame a hob for the noises in the attic.
- She leaves a bowl of milk for the hob.
- The story's hobs play tricks on everyone in the house.
Forms
hob · hobs
hobgoblin noun — A mischievous or troublesome imaginary spirit.