cobble

1 of 2

verb

cob·​ble ˈkä-bəl 

cobbled; cobbling ˈkä-b(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

1

chiefly British : to mend or patch coarsely

2

: repair, make

cobble shoes

3

: to make or put together roughly or hastily

—often used with together or up

cobble together an agreement

cobble up a temporary solution

cobble

2 of 2

noun

1

: cobblestone

2

cobbles plural, chiefly British : lump coal about the size of small cobblestones

Synonyms of cobble

Verb

• patch (together)
• throw together
• knock together

Examples of cobble in a Sentence

Verb

expensive leather shoes cobbled in Italy

Noun

a street paved with cobbles

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Also in the hunt is Lockheed Martin, the prime contractor for the Orion spacecraft, which is proposing an accelerated plan to build a lunar lander cobbled together from hardware already in existence. —Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 29 Jan. 2026

That meant cobbling together a loan from a CDFI, which was willing to make an equity investment in the apartments, and a local bank. —Elizabeth MacBride, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026

Noun

These primitive implements are known as cobble-and-flake tools in which river stones, or cobbles, are flaked into usable tools, including pick-like objects. —New Atlas, 8 Jan. 2026

Their builders rejected Victorian excess in favor of local materials such as redwood and cobble, creating designs attuned to their setting, with windows oriented toward views and wide, open porches. —Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English coblen, perhaps back-formation from cobelere cobbler

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for cobble

• bauble
• gobble
• hobble
• labile
• squabble
• wobble
• cantabile

Kids Definition

cobble

1 of 2 verb

cob·​ble ˈkäb-əl 

cobbled; cobbling -(ə-)liŋ 

: to make roughly or hastily

—often used with together or up

cobble

2 of 2 noun

: a rounded stone larger than a pebble and smaller than a boulder