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
Common Five-letter Words for Wordle, List 1
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Beowulf vocabulary
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Journalism
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
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
But I never bothered to tune into other matches even as soccer leagues from across the globe have stormed network, cable and streaming channels in recent years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
The Italian cable maker’s 10-year agreement with Molex to supply optical fiber for data centers is part of a string of new agreements it will make with infrastructure providers, Prysmian said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
“To be honest, neither did I,” she said, uncoiling another knot in the cable she held.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
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
In 1980, Turner launched Cable News Network as the first dedicated rolling news channel, which soon became a central part of the media landscape.
From BBC ● May 6, 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
His crowning cultural achievement was the creation of the Cable News Network in 1980, which created the model for today’s cable news titans.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2026
“Just like you did when Dr. Cable used to bring you by my cell?”
From "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld
I managed to get a hold of the CIA papers - known as cables - from the time, which showed what Giaka had told the Americans.
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
They stood nearly eight feet high, locked together with a set of cables that crisscrossed from one machine to the other, making it impossible to move between them.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
"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
“A stern warning and reprimand must be made,” Moscow cabled its New York office, “for losing contact with such a source.”
From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin
"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.
