gabble
Americanverb (used without object)
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to speak or converse rapidly and unintelligibly; jabber.
-
(of hens, geese, etc.) to cackle.
verb (used with object)
noun
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rapid, unintelligible talk.
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any quick succession of meaningless sounds.
verb
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to utter (words, etc) rapidly and indistinctly; jabber
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(intr) (of geese and some other birds or animals) to utter rapid cackling noises
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of gabble
First recorded in 1570–80; perhaps from Middle Dutch gabbelen, or an expressive formation in English; cf. gab 1, gob 4, -le
Explanation
When you gabble, you talk so fast that you can barely be understood. A nervous public speaker might gabble for several minutes before she's able to get her point across. If you're gossiping about a neighbor and suddenly realize he's standing behind you, you might gabble for a while from the sheer awkwardness of the situation. Your grandmother might declare that she doesn't understand the music you like, saying, "They don't sing — they just gabble!" Gabble is a noun, too, meaning the sound itself: "See? It's all just gabble!" Gabble has a Dutch root, gabbelen, which is imitative — it sounds just like what it means.
Vocabulary lists containing gabble
Instead of "Said": Words That Sound Like What They Mean
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The Devil's Arithmetic
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Charlotte's Web
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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.
He's also working on Gabble, an Internet-based video dictionary that would help people in nations with low literacy rates communicate with the rest of the world.
From BusinessWeek • Apr. 8, 2010
Gabble, gabble went the old crone's tongue, wiggle-waggle went her picturesque white cap--the only picturesque thing there was about her--up and down went her arms and hands.
From A Hero of Romance by Marsh, Richard
Gabble, gabble, gabble; chatter, chatter, chatter; pouf, pouf, pouf; boum, boum, boum; he runs ahead eternally in one long discordant sing-song monotone.
From The Great Taboo by Allen, Grant
Enter, R., Sissy Gabble, a very small girl, with a very large cape bonnet on her head, and a tin pail in her hand.
From The Universal Reciter 81 Choice Pieces of Rare Poetical Gems by Various
Mrs. Gabble, it is not a question of harm, but of obedience, here.
From The Universal Reciter 81 Choice Pieces of Rare Poetical Gems by Various
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.
