hob

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the flat cooking surface of a stove, especially one containing burners or hotplates

   She took the soup off the hob and set it on a wooden board.

2. 2
   noun

   a flat shelf or projection beside an open fireplace, used to keep pans warm

   A blackened kettle rested on the hob beside the fire.

3. 3
   noun

   a hardened cutting tool used to form the teeth of gears

   The machinist mounted a new hob before cutting the gear teeth.

Simplified etymology

Hob, recorded from the late 16th century, was a variant spelling associated with the English dialect word hub. It referred to a surface behind or beside a fireplace that was used for heating pans and was originally made of piled-up clay.

The origin of the fireplace and cooking sense is uncertain, and it may be related to hub. The engineering sense developed for a projecting cutting tool. These uses are distinct from Hob, a familiar form of Robert or Robin that became a name for a household spirit.

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External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary