hob1

 
Pronunciation: /hɒb/

noun

  • 1British a cooking appliance, or the flat top part of a cooker, with hotplates or burners.
  • a flat metal shelf at the side of a fireplace, having its surface level with the top of the grate and used especially for heating pans.
  • 2a machine tool used for cutting gears or screw threads.
  • 3a peg or pin used as a mark in throwing games.

Origin:

late 16th century (in hob1 (sense 3)): alteration of hub. hob1 (sense 1), 'metal shelf by a fireplace', dates from the late 17th century