noun
hobbit
HO-biht
noun
1
In fantasy fiction, a member of a small, human-like race with hairy feet, known for enjoying comfort and quiet living.
"Bilbo Baggins is the hobbit hero of Tolkien's novel."
2
Informally, a short or diminutive person.
"He joked that his younger brother was built like a hobbit."
3
An extinct small-bodied human species, Homo floresiensis, whose fossils were found on the Indonesian island of Flores.
"Scientists nicknamed the tiny fossil skeleton "the hobbit"."
How to Use Hobbit
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA small, homely fictional being from Tolkien's stories — or, loosely, any short person.
Word Forms
hobbits plural, hobbitses plural, hobbits plural
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Bilbo Baggins is the _____ hero of Tolkien's novel.
Etymology
Invented by J. R. R. Tolkien in the 1930s for his novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings; he later joked it might come from an imagined Old English word meaning "hole-dweller".