hobgoblin
UK /hɒbˈɡɒb.lɪn/ · US /hɑbˈɡɑb.lɪn/ noun
Forms hobgoblins
- noun A small, ugly goblin that makes trouble for humans.
- noun (figuratively, by extension) A source of dread, fear or apprehension; a bugbear.
Synonyms
Etymology
From hob (“elf”, from Hob, a variant of Rob, short for Robin Goodfellow, an elf in Germanic folklore) + goblin.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A frightful goblin; an imp; a bugaboo; also, a name formerly given to the household spirit, Robin Goodfellow. Macaulay.
Etymology [See 2d Hob, and Goblin.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “hobgoblin”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details