hobnob

verb

hob·​nob ˈhäb-ˌnäb How to pronounce hobnob (audio)
hobnobbed; hobnobbing

intransitive verb

1
archaic : to drink sociably
2
: to associate familiarly
hobnobber noun

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Hobnob and Shakespeare

In William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, Sir Toby Belch warned Viola (who was disguised as a man) that Sir Andrew wanted to duel. "Hob, nob is his word," said Sir Toby, using "hob, nob" to mean something like "hit or miss." Sir Toby's term is probably an alteration of "hab nab," a phrase that meant "to have or not have, however it may turn out." After Shakespeare's day, hob and nob were used in the phrases "to drink hob or nob" and "to drink hobnob," which meant "to drink alternately to each other." Since "drinking hobnob" was generally done among friends, hobnob came to refer to congenial social interaction.

Examples of hobnob in a Sentence

He loves to hobnob with celebrities. those two have been hobnobbing together since freshman year
Recent Examples on the Web Ezra Shaw/Getty Images Even if hobnobbing with celebs is old hat to Swift, watching her boyfriend win the Super Bowl in overtime was still a thrill. Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 14 Feb. 2024 Government delegations have shuttled around the globe hobnobbing with chip makers. Jiyoung Sohn, WSJ, 29 Dec. 2023 The broad contours of his arc, from an ordinary schmo to a beloved TV star hobnobbing with celebrities and signing his own development deal, are as classic as Hollywood fairy tales get. Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Dec. 2023 The tall, burly Mr. Gilmer frequently hobnobbed with the world’s elite wine collectors and growers. James B. Stewart, New York Times, 25 May 2023 This high life has extended to hobnobbing with other celebrities, including Jamie Foxx and music mogul Breyon Precott. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 9 Jan. 2024 Or, celebrities in designer winter wear hobnobbing on snowy sidewalks, cordoned off from the prying eyes of paparazzi and the general public. Brad Japhe, Travel + Leisure, 28 Dec. 2023 As recorded in this sketch-like, impressionistic travel journal, the philosopher-novelist spent two exhausting months in 1949 lecturing and hobnobbing with local literary elites. Albert Camus, Foreign Affairs, 24 Oct. 2023 But the optics are tricky since Youngkin will spend precious time in the state election’s homestretch hobnobbing with out-of-state donors, some with no clear interest in Virginia. Laura Vozzella, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hobnob.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

from the obsolete phrase drink hobnob to drink alternately to one another

First Known Use

1813, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hobnob was in 1813

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Dictionary Entries Near hobnob

Cite this Entry

“Hobnob.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hobnob. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hobnob

verb
hob·​nob ˈhäb-ˌnäb How to pronounce hobnob (audio)
hobnobbed; hobnobbing
: to associate in a friendly manner
hobnobbing with politicians
hobnobber noun

More from Merriam-Webster on hobnob

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