cobble

[ kob-uhl ]

See synonyms for cobble on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),cob·bled, cob·bling.

to mend (shoes, boots, etc.); patch.
to put together roughly or clumsily.

Origin of cobble

First recorded in 1490–1500; apparently back formation from cobbler

Other definitions for cobble (2 of 3)

cobble²

[ kob-uhl ]

noun

a cobblestone.
cobbles, coal in lumps larger than a pebble and smaller than a boulder.

Metalworking.
- a defect in a rolled piece resulting from loss of control over its movement.
- Slang. a piece showing bad workmanship.

verb (used with object),cob·bled, cob·bling.

to pave with cobblestones.

Origin of cobble

First recorded in 1595–1605; of uncertain origin; perhaps cob + -le; see cobblestone

Other definitions for cobble (3 of 3)

cobble³

[ kob-uhl ]

noun

New England, New York State, and New Jersey. (especially in placenames) a rounded hill.

Origin of cobble

First recorded in 1885–95; perhaps from cobble²

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use cobble in a sentence

Check out Le Marais, one of the oldest quarters of the city, where gay-friendly establishments line the winding cobbled lanes.
The Ultimate LGBT Travel Bucket List | | December 12, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
She was a born writer, publishing her own magazine—actually cobbled-together Xerox pages—even before her teen years.
Joanna Coles: Why Cosmopolitan Does Sexy and Serious So Well | Lloyd Grove | August 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
After multiple rejections, he cobbled together enough money for a limited double-blind trial that began last year.
How Big Pharma Holds Back in the War on Cancer | ProPublica | April 23, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Like Tracks or The Promise, High Hopes has been cobbled together from castoffs.
‘High Hopes’ Review: Bruce Springsteen Lowers the Bar | Andrew Romano | January 7, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
A bill was cobbled together then, the bill that ultimately led to the sequester, that got 76 votes.
Help Us Harry Reid, You’re Our Only Hope | Michael Tomasky | October 9, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST

I went out in the steep cobbled street that runs down to the shore of Corazon Bay.
The Belted Seas | Arthur Colton
After this manner they jolted painfully along the cobbled paving, down through the swaying crowd towards the Place de Grève.
The False Chevalier | William Douw Lighthall
The shadows of the houses on my left ended in an irregular line on the cobbled causeway on my right.
The Yeoman Adventurer | George W. Gough
We turned into a maze of cobbled ways behind the market, passing between rows of shuttered shops.
Where the Pavement Ends | John Russell
The houses facing the Tyne, more particularly on the north side, seem less to have been built than to have been cobbled together.
The Rivers of Great Britain: Rivers of the East Coast | Various

British Dictionary definitions for cobble (1 of 2)

cobble¹

/ (ˈkɒbəl) /

noun

short for cobblestone
geology a rock fragment, often rounded, with a diameter of 64–256 mm and thus smaller than a boulder but larger than a pebble

verb

(tr) to pave (a road) with cobblestones

Origin of cobble

C15 (in cobblestone): from cob 1

See also cobbles

Derived forms of cobble

cobbled, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for cobble (2 of 2)

cobble²

/ (ˈkɒbəl) /

verb(tr)

to make or mend (shoes)
to put together clumsily

Origin of cobble

C15: back formation from cobbler 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for cobble

cobble

[ kŏb′əl ]

A rock fragment larger than a pebble and smaller than a boulder. Pebbles have a diameter between 64 and 256 mm (2.56 and 10.24 inches) and are often rounded.

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