hobnob
To drink togetherTo drink together.
» He enjoyed hobnobbing with diplomats and celebrities.
Er genoss es, mit Diplomaten und Prominenten auf Du und Du zu sein.
Meaning
4 senses(intransitive)To drink together.
(derogatory, intransitive, often)To associate with in a friendly manner, often with those of a higher class or status; to fraternize.
The ambitious young student hobnobbed with the faculty at the prestigious college he hoped to attend.
His favorite spot in the club was the bar, where he could hobnob with the big-wigs.
(intransitive, obsolete, rare)To have or have not; to give or take.
(intransitive, obsolete)To toast one another by touching glasses.
- rub elbows with
Examples
1 sentencesHe enjoyed hobnobbing with diplomats and celebrities.
deEr genoss es, mit Diplomaten und Prominenten auf Du und Du zu sein.
Origin
From hob and nob, hob or nob (“a phrase spoken when making a toast, possibly meaning ‘giveFrom hob and nob, hob or nob (“a phrase spoken when making a toast, possibly meaning ‘give and take’; to take turns toasting or buying rounds of drinks”) (archaic), from dialectal hab nab (“to have or have not, in the sense of an invitation to have a drink”), from Old English habban (“to have, possess”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kap- (“to grab, seize”)) + nabban (“to not have”) (from ne (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *né (“not”)) + habban).
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Forms
hobnobs, hobnobbing, hobnobbed, hobnobbed| Base form | hobnob · to hobnob |
|---|---|
| 3rd person singular | hobnobs |
| Present participle | hobnobbing |
| Past simple | hobnobbed |
| Past participle | hobnobbed |
irregular
Synonyms
3 synonymsWord family
5 related wordsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle