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

It’s certainly possible to cobble together a meal with all the sides, but cooking a beautiful, bountiful vegetarian or vegan main course can make the day even more special for those not interested in the traditional turkey.
Vegetarian and vegan main dishes to anchor your Thanksgiving menu | Becky Krystal, Kari Sonde | November 20, 2020 | Washington Post
We told you how to cook a turkey over a fire and picked out the best dehydrated options for cobbling together a Thanksgiving in the backcountry.
Your Guide to Throwing an Outdoor Thanksgiving | AC Shilton | November 17, 2020 | Outside Online
In the end the team used seven models and cobbled together different results to get the variation they wanted.
To see what makes AI hard to use, ask it to write a pop song | Will Heaven | October 29, 2020 | MIT Technology Review
The group quickly cobbled itself together last month as an “emergency response to an emergency situation,” Cadwalladr said, referring to how, in the board’s view, Facebook had failed to police its service ahead of the election.
Facebook’s fight against outside oversight | Danielle Abril | October 29, 2020 | Fortune
With the FDA’s blessing, Lindstrom cobbled together test ingredients from different batches that had all passed quality checks, and they dropped the troublesome third target.
Inside the Fall of the CDC | by James Bandler, Patricia Callahan, Sebastian Rotella and Kirsten Berg | October 15, 2020 | ProPublica

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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