To walk with difficulty, taking short unsteady steps, usually because of pain or injury; to limp.
From Middle English 'hoblen,' possibly related to 'hop.' The word describes the characteristic movement of someone with difficulty walking, the uneven stepping pattern.
Horses are sometimes 'hobbled' (tied with a short rope between legs) to prevent them from straying, which is where the word's second meaning comes from—if you hobble something, you make it move with difficulty, limiting its freedom.
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