/ hɒb; NAmE hɑːb/ noun
1.
( BrE ) the top part of a cooker where food is cooked in pans; a similar surface that is built into a kitchen unit and is separate from the oven :
an electric / a gas hob
2.
a metal shelf at the side of a fire, used in the past for heating pans, etc. on
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WORD ORIGIN
late 16th cent. (originally referring to a peg or pin used in throwing games): alteration of hub . Sense 2, metal shelf by a fireplace , dates from the late 17th cent.