cable

¹ca·ble

noun, often attributive \ˈkā-bəl\

Definition of CABLE

1

a : a strong rope especially of 10 inches (25 centimeters) or more in circumference

b : a cable-laid rope

c : a wire rope or metal chain of great tensile strength

d : a wire or wire rope by which force is exerted to control or operate a mechanism

2

: cable length

3

a : an assembly of electrical conductors insulated from each other but laid up together (as by being twisted around a central core)

b : cablegram; also : a radio message or telegram

4

: something resembling or fashioned like a cable <a fiber-optic cable>

5

: cable television <a house with cable>

Examples of CABLE

1. The bridge is held up by cables.
2. Their company supplied cable for the project.
3. We need more cable to hook up the computers.

Origin of CABLE

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin capulum lasso, from Latin capere to take — more at heave

First Known Use: 13th century

Related to CABLE

Synonyms

cord, lace, lacing, line, rope, string, wire

Related Words

guy, halyard, lanyard, stay; bungee cord, whipcord

Rhymes with CABLE

able, Babel, Bebel, fable, Froebel, gable, label, sable, stable, table

²cable

verb

ca·bledca·bling \ˈkā-b(ə-)liŋ\

Definition of CABLE

transitive verb

1

: to fasten with or as if with a cable

2

: to provide with a cable or cables

3

: to telegraph by submarine cable

4

: to make into a cable or into a form resembling a cable

intransitive verb

: to communicate by a submarine cable

— ca·bler \-b(ə-)lər\ noun

Examples of CABLE

1. She cabled the news to the United States.
2. She cabled her parents for money.
3. The soldiers cabled back to headquarters.

First Known Use of CABLE

circa 1500

Ca·ble

biographical name \ˈkā-bəl\

Definition of CABLE

George Washington 1844–1925 Am. nov.