cable

1 of 2

noun

ca·​ble ˈkā-bəl 

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

: 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

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

cable

2 of 2

verb

cabled; cabling ˈkā-b(ə-)liŋ 

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

cabler

ˈkā-b(ə-)lər

noun

Synonyms

Noun

• wire
• rope
• cord

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

City officials in Lexington, Missouri, have ordered the stop of fiber optic cable work after two gas lines were struck within 24 hours this week. —Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 27 Sep. 2025

In recent years, the companies have bickered about the rise of streaming services, in which the media companies are investing billions of dollars and which lure away cable and satellite customers. —Brian Steinberg, Variety, 26 Sep. 2025

Verb

Technics has also cooked in a phono-MM equalizer to cater for cabling up to a hi-fi system without needing to plug into a dedicated phono input. —New Atlas, 19 Sep. 2025

How to watch the EPL’s season openers There are a number of options to catch the action ranging from local TV to cable to streaming services. —Pueng Vongs, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2025

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

Phrases Containing cable

• cable box
• cable car
• cable-knit
• cable-laid
• cable length
• cable modem
• cable television
• coaxial cable
• pay-cable

Rhymes for cable

• able
• chaebol
• fable
• label
• sable
• stabile
• stable
• table
• allocable
• educable
• integrable
• purchasable

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

: cablegram

5

: cable television

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

Cable

biographical name

Ca·​ble ˈkā-bəl 

George Washington 1844–1925 American novelist