hobgoblin
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hob·gob·lin
(hŏb′gŏb′lĭn)n.
1. An ugly, mischievous elf or goblin.
2. An object or a source of fear, dread, or harassment; a bugbear: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds" (Ralph Waldo Emerson).
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
hobgoblin
(ˌhɒbˈɡɒblɪn)n
1. (European Myth & Legend) an evil or mischievous goblin
2. (European Myth & Legend) a bogey; bugbear
[C16: from hob2 + goblin]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
hob•gob•lin
(ˈhɒbˌgɒb lɪn)n.
1. something causing superstitious fear; bogy.
2. a mischievous goblin.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Noun | 1. | hobgoblin - (folklore) a small grotesque supernatural creature that makes trouble for human beings folklore - the unwritten lore (stories and proverbs and riddles and songs) of a culture evil spirit - a spirit tending to cause harm |
2. | hobgoblin - an object of dread or apprehension; "Germany was always a bugbear for France"; "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds"--Ralph Waldo Emerson object - the focus of cognitions or feelings; "objects of thought"; "the object of my affection" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
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Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
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