cobble

¹ American  

[kob-uhl] / ˈkɒb əl /

verb (used with object)

cobbled, cobbling

1. to mend (shoes, boots, etc.); patch.

2. to put together roughly or clumsily.

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cobble ² American  

[kob-uhl] / ˈkɒb əl /

noun

1. a cobblestone.

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

3. Metalworking.

   1. a defect in a rolled piece resulting from loss of control over its movement.

   2. Slang. a piece showing bad workmanship.

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verb (used with object)

cobbled, cobbling

1. to pave with cobblestones.

cobble ³ American  

[kob-uhl] / ˈkɒb əl /

noun

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

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cobble ¹ British  

/ ˈkɒbəl /

noun

1. short for cobblestone

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

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verb

1. (tr) to pave (a road) with cobblestones

cobble ² British  

/ ˈkɒbəl /

verb

1. to make or mend (shoes)

2. to put together clumsily

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cobble Scientific  

/ kŏb′əl /

1. 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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Other Word Forms

• cobbled adjective

Etymology

Origin of cobble¹

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

Origin of cobble¹

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

Origin of cobble¹

First recorded in 1885–95; perhaps from cobble ²

Example Sentences

Several thousand more watched as the procession wound its way along cobbled streets, marking the official start of four days of celebrations to welcome the arrival of 2026.

From Barron's

As others spent their Thanksgiving holiday with blood relatives at the dinner table, this particular gathering was dubbed “Leather Thanksgiving” — a celebration of chosen family, cobbled together from various corners of L.A.’s queer nightlife.

From Los Angeles Times

Though the resulting story can seem cobbled together, with obvious seams where oddments have been joined, its bright patchwork of anecdotes acquires its own strange logic.

From The Wall Street Journal

I’ve underestimated the Steelers before, and they just cobbled together an impressive victory over Miami, but it’s hard not to like the Lions here.

From Los Angeles Times

And still, Oklahoma cobbled together a win it absolutely needed to keep its playoff hopes alive, on the strength of a defense that produced four sacks and returned an interception for a touchdown.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• assemble
• complete
• construct
• create
• fabricate
• mass-produce
• synthesize