Hob (hearth)

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For related uses see Hob.

In a kitchen the hob is a projection, shelf, grate or bench for holding food or utensils at the back or side of a hearth (fireplace) to keep them warm, or an internal chimney-corner. In modern British English usage, the word refers to a cooktop or hotplate, as distinguished from an oven.[1]

Hearths and Hobs

A fireplace in a German castle showing a brick hob.

Hearth and hob in a traditional Slovenian kitchen.

Reconstructed hearth and hob in the Fuggerei.

Colonial kitchen with a pitcher on the hob.

A cooktop is called a hob in modern British English.

[edit] Etymology

The word is a noun meaning approximately "holder", derived from the Old English verb habban "to have, hold".[2] The word hub "support of a disk or wheel" is apparently from the same source.[3]

[edit] References

  1. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.
  2. ^ E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.
  3. ^ Merriam Webster Online