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
A hearth () is the place in a home where a fire is or was traditionally kept for home heating and for cooking, usually constituted by at least a horizontal hearthstone and often enclosed to varying degrees by any combination of reredos (a lo ...
(
fireplace
A fireplace or hearth is a structure made of brick, stone or metal designed to contain a fire. Fireplaces are used for the relaxing ambiance they create and for heating a room. Modern fireplaces vary in heat efficiency, depending on the design ...
) to keep them warm, or an internal chimney-corner. In modern
British English
British English (BrE, en-GB, or BE) is, according to Lexico, Oxford Dictionaries, "English language, English as used in Great Britain, as distinct from that used elsewhere". More narrowly, it can refer specifically to the English language in ...
usage, the word refers to a
cooktop
A cooktop (American English), stovetop (American English) or hob (British English), is a device commonly used for cooking that is commonly found in kitchens and used to apply heat to the base of pans or pots. Cooktops are often found integrated ...
or
hotplate
A hot plate is a portable self-contained tabletop small appliance cooktop
A cooktop (American English), stovetop (American English) or hob (British English), is a device commonly used for cooking that is commonly found in kitchens and used t ...
, as distinguished from an
oven.
Etymology
The word is a noun meaning approximately "holder", derived from the
Old English
Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...
verb ''habban'' "to have, hold". The word ''hub'' "support of a disk or wheel" is apparently from the same source.
Merriam Webster Online
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Gallery
Image:BurgBoetzelaer06.jpg , A fireplace in a German castle showing a brick hob.
Image:Muljava odprto ognjisce.jpg , Hearth and hob in a traditional Slovenian kitchen.
Image:Kueche Augsburg Fuggerei.jpg , Reconstructed hearth and hob in the Fuggerei
The Fuggerei is the world's oldest public housing complex still in use. It is a walled enclave within the city of Augsburg, Bavaria. It takes its name from the Fugger family and was founded in 1516 by Jakob Fugger the Younger (known as "Jakob Fug ...
.
Image:Spinninginthecolonialkitchen.jpg , Colonial kitchen with a pitcher on the hob.
File:Ceranfeld.jpg, A cooktop
A cooktop (American English), stovetop (American English) or hob (British English), is a device commonly used for cooking that is commonly found in kitchens and used to apply heat to the base of pans or pots. Cooktops are often found integrated ...
is called a ''hob'' in modern British English
British English (BrE, en-GB, or BE) is, according to Lexico, Oxford Dictionaries, "English language, English as used in Great Britain, as distinct from that used elsewhere". More narrowly, it can refer specifically to the English language in ...
.
See also
* Hob (disambiguation)
Hob or Hobs may refer to:
Businesses and organizations
* Heart of Brooklyn, a tourism-related non-profit organization in New York City
* HOB GmbH & Co KG, an international computer company
* Hobs Reprographics, a British printer
* Hemne Orkl ...
* Cooktop
A cooktop (American English), stovetop (American English) or hob (British English), is a device commonly used for cooking that is commonly found in kitchens and used to apply heat to the base of pans or pots. Cooktops are often found integrated ...
* ''Buttumak
An ''agungi'' ( ko, 아궁이) is a firebox found in traditional Korean kitchens which is used to burn firewood or other fuel for cooking. It is also a part of the traditional floor heating system, or ondol. The flat cooktop counter or heart ...
''
References
Fireplaces