plural cables
1
a
: a thick, strong rope made of wires that are twisted together
The bridge is held up by cables.
Their company supplied cable for the project.
b
: a wire that moves a part in a machine
a brake cable
2
: a group of wires, glass fibers, etc., covered in plastic or rubber and used to carry electricity or electrical signals
battery cables
computer cables
a fiber-optic cable
We need more cable to hook up the computers.
3
: a message sent by telegraph : telegram
4
: cable television
Does our hotel room have cable?
The game will be shown on cable.
cable news
the big cable networks/companies
a cable box [=a box that sends television signals from a cable into the television]
cables; cabled; cabling
: to send a message by telegraph : telegraph
She cabled the news to the United States.
She cabled her parents for money.
The soldiers cabled back to headquarters.
Cite this Entry
“Cable.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/cable. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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