hobble: Meaning and Definition of

hob•ble

Pronunciation: (hob'ul), [key]
— v., n. -bled, -bling,
—v.i.
  1. to walk lamely; limp.
  2. to proceed irregularly and haltingly: His verses hobble with their faulty meters.
—v.t.
  1. to cause to limp: His tight shoes hobbled him.
  2. to fasten together the legs of (a horse, mule, etc.) by short lengths of rope to prevent free motion.
  3. to impede; hamper the progress of.
—n.
  1. an act of hobbling; an uneven, halting gait; a limp.
  2. a rope, strap, etc., used to hobble an animal.
  3. a leg harness for controlling the gait of a pacer.
  4. an awkward or difficult situation.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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