cable
noun
a heavy, strong rope.
cable
1 American
[key-buhl]
/ ˈkeɪ bəl /
noun
cables
plural
-
a heavy, strong rope.
-
a very strong rope made of strands of metal wire, as used to support cable cars or suspension bridges.
-
a cord of metal wire used to operate or pull a mechanism.
-
Nautical.
-
a thick hawser made of rope, strands of metal wire, or chain.
-
-
Electricity. an insulated electrical conductor, often in strands, or a combination of electrical conductors insulated from one another.
-
Architecture. one of a number of reedings set into the flutes of a column or pilaster.
verb (used with object)
cables,
present (3rd person singular)
cabled,
past participle, past
cabling
present participle
-
to send (a message) by cable.
-
to send a cablegram to.
-
to fasten with a cable.
-
to furnish with a cable.
-
to join (cities, parts of a country, etc.) by means of a cable television network.
The state will be completely cabled in a few years.
verb (used without object)
cables,
present (3rd person singular)
cabled,
past participle, past
cabling
present participle
-
to send a message by cable.
-
to cable-stitch.
Cable
2
American
[key-buhl]
/ ˈkeɪ bəl /
noun
cable
British
/ ˈkeɪbəl /
noun
-
a strong thick rope, usually of twisted hemp or steel wire
-
nautical an anchor chain or rope
-
-
a unit of distance in navigation, equal to one tenth of a sea mile (about 600 feet)
-
Also called: cable length. cable's length. a unit of length in nautical use that has various values, including 100 fathoms (600 feet)
-
-
a wire or bundle of wires that conducts electricity See also coaxial cable
a submarine cable
-
Also called: overseas telegram. international telegram. cablegram. a telegram sent abroad by submarine cable, radio, communications satellite, or by telephone line
-
See cable stitch
-
short for cable television
verb
-
to send (a message) to (someone) by cable
-
(tr) to fasten or provide with a cable or cables
-
(tr) to supply (a place) with or link (a place) to cable television
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
cablesimple
-
cablessimple
-
have cabledperfect
-
has cabledperfect
-
am cablingprogressive
-
are cablingprogressive
-
is cablingprogressive
-
have been cablingperfect progressive
-
has been cablingperfect progressive
Past
-
cabledsimple
-
had cabledperfect
-
was cablingprogressive
-
were cablingprogressive
-
had been cablingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of cable
1175–1225; Middle English, probably < Old North French *cable < Late Latin capulum lasso; compare Latin capulāre to rope, halter (cattle), akin to capere to take
Explanation
A cable can be a strong and thick hemp or steel rope, or a conductor for sending electrical or optical signals. Cable has a bunch of meanings — ranging from communication cables to steel cables. With new online services that stream your favorite show on demand, cable television may become a thing of the past. If your adventurous kids have convinced you to install a zip line, then you better find a steel cable. In the age of email, chances are you'll never have a reason to send someone an overseas cable.
Vocabulary lists containing cable
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The company bought a 10.7% stake in cable channel Starz for $25 million in March.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
In their complaint, the 12 states claim the combined company would control roughly 27 percent of wide-release theatrical film distribution and a similar percentage of basic cable channel licensing.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
Charter Communications’ latest earnings results highlight the increasingly competitive broadband market, which has proved challenging for established cable providers.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
Cameron said unlike its sister islands Guernsey and Jersey, Alderney did not have cable supplying electricity from France.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
So, right then and there, she walked onstage, pretending to read a bill from the cable television company.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
Cable television’s evolution into streaming also transformed fandom.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
These included the music show The Pop Factory, presented by Steve Jones and Liz Fuller, and even a chat show hosted by the late Stereophonics drummer Stuart Cable.
From BBC ● May 16, 2026
Initially, the Cable News Network struggled to draw viewers, but that changed with the Persian Gulf War, when Turner’s investment in international journalism paid off.
From Salon ● May 8, 2026
Cable News Network upended established broadcasting with its dedication to around-the-clock breaking news and shot to global recognition with its coverage of the Gulf War in 1990-91.
From Barron's ● May 6, 2026
The mocking tone reminded her of Dr. Cable.
From "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld
The Senussi Files seem to corroborate several details first mentioned in the cables, including the presence of semtex at Luqa Airport in Malta.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
“Seeing that face with all the cables and all the wires and all the things going on, it just kind of encompasses all of it and takes it right back,” he said.
From Slate ● Jul. 19, 2026
The defence's main argument is that the bridge had a hidden construction defect, namely corrosion of the bridge's cables, and it was this that caused its collapse, not a lack of maintenance.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
They also installed advanced sensors that can detect movement up to one-billionth of a meter by using fiber optic cables that can extend or compress if any ground deformation occurs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
Otto worked at concealing the power cables in the grass and dirt.
From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles
"Stick with us," cabled Morecambe, "and we will get you another one".
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2023
Mr. Bondarev, part of the team working on arms control and disarmament at Russia’s Geneva mission, said he had seen misleading information cabled to Moscow in recent weeks.
From New York Times ● May 23, 2022
Finally, on Jan. 2, 1950, Mao cabled the communist leadership in Beijing:
From Salon ● Mar. 13, 2022
You cabled our two vehicles together and towed me to the Ace Hardware.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 4, 2022
They cabled Ferris, “Unwise to open wheel to public until opening day because of incompleteness and danger of accidents.”
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
"This is all one big unit, meaning we can't just replace the front charge port. We have to replace the charger itself, the inverter, and some of the cabling", he explains.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
They also integrated the required electronics, cabling, structural supports, and measurement tools.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 27, 2026
They said that AI can do the “opposite” of what automation does, and “generate demand for novel human expertise” like electrical installation or fiber-optic cabling.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 12, 2026
They marveled at the demand for fiber-optic cabling to connect all the servers inside that giant warehouse.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 7, 2026
The door was surrounded by things like cabling, hooks and the plates that linked the bare-bones machinery of the door hydraulics with the more aesthetic wall coverings of the large cargo room.
From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
