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hobbit

noun
hob·​bit | \ ˈhä-bÉ™t How to pronounce hobbit (audio) \

Definition of hobbit

: a member of a fictitious peaceful and genial race of small humanlike creatures that dwell underground
Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about hobbit

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Did You Know?

What is a hobbit? wrote J.R.R. Tolkien in the 1937 fantasy novel that introduced Mr. Bilbo Baggins. The author then answered himself: "They are (or were) little people, about half our height, and smaller than the bearded Dwarves.... There is little or no magic about them, except the ordinary everyday sort which helps them to disappear when large stupid folk like you and me come blundering along ...." Tolkien tells us that hobbits "are inclined to be fat," and that they "dress in bright colours"; they "have good-natured faces, and deep fruity laughs (especially after dinner)." Tolkien, a professional linguist who taught at Oxford, coined the word hobbit (and many other terms - in fact, a whole new language) for The Hobbit and for his enormously popular series The Lord of the Rings.

Examples of hobbit in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

 Here was a family movie that included giant terror-mollusks, cute hobbit-like critters getting the mystical life force sucked out of them by giant squawking crow monsters, and a road adventure through the foothills of the uncanny valley. — Wired, "Netflix Re-Ups the Puppetry—and Perturbations—of Dark Crystal," 30 Aug. 2019 Not a goat farmer or toothless hobbit in the whole bunch! — Juliet Pennington, BostonGlobe.com, "The VIP Lounge with actress Kathy Najimy," 23 July 2019 Check out our list of Oregon’s most unconventional homes, from coffins and castles to hobbit huts and airplane homes. — oregonlive.com, "Flash-bang lawsuit; Court appearance for woman accused of killing brother: Morning Briefing for Tuesday, Aug. 6," 6 Aug. 2019 Lance-wielding knights bedecked in shining armor rubbed shoulders with all manner of elves and hobbits at the San Jose Renaissance & Fantasy Faire over the weekend. — Karen D'souza, The Mercury News, "San Jose Renaissance and Fantasy Faire holds court downtown," 4 Aug. 2019 And Johnson picks on what an indecipherably British hobbit Statham is. — Wesley Morris, New York Times, "‘Hobbs & Shaw’ Review: Rock-em-Sock-em Bromance," 1 Aug. 2019 Gone are our Spanish-style homes with their tile roofs and arches, our storybook houses fit for hobbits and Snow White. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "L.A. is losing its weird edges to bland, boxy and Instagram-friendly," 20 June 2019 Gone are our Spanish-style homes with their tile roofs and arches, our storybook houses fit for hobbits and Snow White. — Nita Lelyveld, latimes.com, "L.A. is losing its weird edges to bland, boxy and Instagram-friendly," 20 June 2019 One amazing hobbit pod in Setúbal, Portugal is the ultimate getaway for the adventurer. — Elizabeth Gulino, House Beautiful, "This Whimsical Hobbit Pod is the Ultimate Glamping Experience," 22 May 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hobbit.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of hobbit

1937, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for hobbit

coined by J. R. R. Tolkien

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