often attributive
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
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
a
: cable television
a house with cable
b
: a cable infrastructure used to provide services other than television
—often used before another noun
cable Internet
cable telephony
cabled; cabling
ˈkā-b(ə-)liŋ 
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
: to communicate by a submarine cable
cabler
noun
ˈkā-b(ə-)lər
Examples of cable in a Sentence
Noun
The bridge is held up by cables.
Their company supplied cable for the project.
We need more cable to hook up the computers.
Verb
She cabled the news to the United States.
She cabled her parents for money.
The soldiers cabled back to headquarters.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Sep. 2023
Some Fox shareholders have also been skeptical of a deal with News Corp, arguing that News Corp’s newspaper businesses, including The Wall Street Journal, are not complementary with Fox Corporation’s entertainment assets, including the Fox broadcast network and the FS1 sports cable network.
—Benjamin Mullin, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2023
Murdoch built a small Australian newspaper business into a sprawling corporate empire that, at its height, included a movie studio, a television network and a roster of cable channels.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC News, 21 Sep. 2023
Over the next seven decades, Murdoch pushed aggressively into British and American markets, buying up newspapers, launching the Fox network, acquiring the 20th Century Fox film studio and upending the cable news scene with the debut of Fox News in 1996.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 21 Sep. 2023
These included film production, rights to the Marvel comics, National Geographic and the cable network FX.
—David Bauder, Fortune, 21 Sep. 2023
Those who haven’t entirely renounced the GOP, like former Illinois Representative Adam Kinzinger and former Pennsylvania Representative Charlie Dent, have nonetheless become cable news fixtures who speak progressives’ language.
—Ben Jacobs, The New Republic, 21 Sep. 2023
These included film production, rights to certain Marvel comics, National Geographic, and the cable network FX.
—David Bauder, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Sep. 2023
That permission generally comes after the satellite/cable company agrees to pay for it.
—Scott D. Pierce, The Salt Lake Tribune, 18 Sep. 2023
Sasha Richie, Dallas News, 10 July 2023
The journalists were frustrated at being muzzled, but were powerless in the face of a system designed to control every word cabled from Moscow.
—Alan Philps, Town & Country, 5 July 2023
In wake of Tucker Carlson’s ouster, will cable news turn down the volume?
—Katie Robertson, BostonGlobe.com, 30 June 2023
With a portfolio spanning across networks like E!, Bravo, Syfy and USA Network, NBCUniversal is bringing plenty of new programs to cable for fans of unscripted reality television and sci-fi drama.
—Sophia Scorziello, Variety, 9 May 2023
But why is football worth so much to cable?
—Aaron Pressman, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2021
In other words, streaming won’t quite return NBCU to cable TV’s heyday.
—Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Feb. 2023
Neither would cable, streaming services or social media.
—Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2023
Trying to cable or tie them back to the main trunk is almost always wasted energy.
—oregonlive, 20 Nov. 2022
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Noun
Dropping four series at once is not a minor move for the cable network.
—Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Sep. 2023
Some Fox shareholders have also been skeptical of a deal with News Corp, arguing that News Corp’s newspaper businesses, including The Wall Street Journal, are not complementary with Fox Corporation’s entertainment assets, including the Fox broadcast network and the FS1 sports cable network.
—Benjamin Mullin, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2023
Murdoch built a small Australian newspaper business into a sprawling corporate empire that, at its height, included a movie studio, a television network and a roster of cable channels.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC News, 21 Sep. 2023
Over the next seven decades, Murdoch pushed aggressively into British and American markets, buying up newspapers, launching the Fox network, acquiring the 20th Century Fox film studio and upending the cable news scene with the debut of Fox News in 1996.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 21 Sep. 2023
These included film production, rights to the Marvel comics, National Geographic and the cable network FX.
—David Bauder, Fortune, 21 Sep. 2023
Those who haven’t entirely renounced the GOP, like former Illinois Representative Adam Kinzinger and former Pennsylvania Representative Charlie Dent, have nonetheless become cable news fixtures who speak progressives’ language.
—Ben Jacobs, The New Republic, 21 Sep. 2023
These included film production, rights to certain Marvel comics, National Geographic, and the cable network FX.
—David Bauder, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Sep. 2023
That permission generally comes after the satellite/cable company agrees to pay for it.
—Scott D. Pierce, The Salt Lake Tribune, 18 Sep. 2023
Verb
In 2010, the service expanded to a satellite TV station, and then to cable in 2012, using a subscription model like HBO or NFL Network.
—Sasha Richie, Dallas News, 10 July 2023
The journalists were frustrated at being muzzled, but were powerless in the face of a system designed to control every word cabled from Moscow.
—Alan Philps, Town & Country, 5 July 2023
In wake of Tucker Carlson’s ouster, will cable news turn down the volume?
—Katie Robertson, BostonGlobe.com, 30 June 2023
With a portfolio spanning across networks like E!, Bravo, Syfy and USA Network, NBCUniversal is bringing plenty of new programs to cable for fans of unscripted reality television and sci-fi drama.
—Sophia Scorziello, Variety, 9 May 2023
But why is football worth so much to cable?
—Aaron Pressman, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2021
In other words, streaming won’t quite return NBCU to cable TV’s heyday.
—Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Feb. 2023
Neither would cable, streaming services or social media.
—Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2023
Trying to cable or tie them back to the main trunk is almost always wasted energy.
—oregonlive, 20 Nov. 2022
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin capulum lasso, from Latin capere to take — more at heave entry 1
First Known Use
Noun
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
circa 1500, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of cable was
in the 13th century
Phrases Containing cable
Dictionary Entries Near cable
Cite this Entry
“Cable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cable. Accessed 30 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
cable
1 of 2 noun
ca·ble
ˈkā-bəl
1
: a very strong thick rope, wire, or chain
2
: a wire or wire rope by which force is applied to operate a piece of machinery
brake cable
3
: a bundle of electrical wires held together usually around a central core
4
5
cable
2 of 2 verb
cabled; cabling
ˈkā-b(ə-)liŋ
1
: to fasten or provide with a cable
2
: to telegraph by cable
Biographical Definition
More from Merriam-Webster on cable
Nglish: Translation of cable for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of cable for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cable
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