Link Centre Dictionary

hobnail

hob·nail

US/ˈhɑˌbneɪl/ uncommon archaic obsolete
noun (1) verb (1)

noun

1.

a short nail with a thick head; used to protect the soles of boots

verb

1.

supply with hobnails

Origin

From hob + nail. The oldest attestation is in William Shakespeare, but he likely did not coin the term.

Phrases

  • hobnail boot
  • hobnail liver

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.