dobbin

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   dated: a quiet, patient horse used for ordinary farm work or transport

   The old dobbin pulled the cart steadily along the muddy lane.

2. 2
   noun

   dated and sometimes disparaging: an old, tired, or worn-out horse

   The neglected dobbin stood with its head lowered beside the empty trough.

From Dobb, a medieval pet form of the personal name Robert, with the familiar-name suffix -en. Like robin and hobby, the human nickname became a conventional name for an animal and then a common noun, first for an ordinary farm horse and later for an old or plodding one.

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