dobbin
UK /ˈdɒbɪn/ · US /ˈdɑbɪn/ noun, proper noun
Forms dobbins
- noun An old jaded horse.
- noun (UK, dialect, uncountable) Sea gravel mixed with sand.
- noun (dated, slang, among students) Synonym of horse (illegitimate study aid)
- proper noun A surname originating as a patronymic.
- proper noun A pet name given to workhorses, and by extension, a placeholder name used for any workhorse, much like John Q. Public and other such placeholders are used for people. “Early automobiles were a menace to old Dobbin”
- proper noun An unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Texas, United States.
- proper noun An unincorporated community in Grant County, West Virginia, United States.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Dobbin, a common name given to workhorses.
From Dobb (“a medieval short form of the given name Robert”) + -en; thus archaically equivalent to Bobby. Cognate with English Dobbie.
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “dobbin”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details