garble

[ gahr-buh l ]

/ ˈgɑr bəl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR garble ON THESAURUS.COM

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

to confuse unintentionally or ignorantly; jumble: to garble instructions.

to make unfair or misleading selections from or arrangement of (fact, statements, writings, etc.); distort: to garble a quotation.

Archaic. to take out the best of.

noun

the act or process of garbling.

an instance of garbling; a garbled phrase, literary passage, etc.

Nearby words

Origin of garble

1400–50; late Middle English garbelen to remove refuse from spices < Old Italian garbellare to sift < Arabic gharbala < Late Latin crībellāre, derivative of crībellum, diminutive of Latin crībrum sieve (see -elle); probably influenced by garboil

Related formsgar·ble·a·ble, adjectivegar·bler, nounun·gar·bled, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for garble

His voice is now shriller, the sobbing more pathetic, and the words begin to garble as he swallows water.
Whatever You Do Someone Will Die. A Short Story About Impossible Choices in Iraq|Nathan Bradley Bethea|August 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He may refuse to publish improper articles, but he may not garble and misrepresent them without incurring reproof.
History and Ecclesiastical Relations of the Churches of the Presbyterial Order at Amoy, China|J. V. N. Talmage
He is of the same opinion to the end, you see, although he has been obliged to cloak and garble that opinion for political ends.
Familiar Studies of Men and Books|Robert Louis Stevenson
At Garble's, that nightly resort of titled rips and roysterers, he usually spent the early hours of his evenings.
The Happy Hypocrite|Max Beerbohm

I had rather consult the papers for myself: for I should not garble them, taking just what suited me, but should read the whole.
Abridgement of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856 (4 of 16 vol.)|Various
At the very least, if he must garble, let him garble rhythmically, and not add splay feet to spoiled force.
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 16, No. 94, August, 1865|Various

British Dictionary definitions for garble

garble

/ (ˈɡɑːbəl) /

verb (tr)

to jumble (a story, quotation, etc), esp unintentionally

to distort the meaning of (an account, text, etc), as by making misleading omissions; corrupt

rare to select the best part of

noun

the act of garbling
garbled matter

Derived Formsgarbler, noun

Word Origin for garble

C15: from Old Italian garbellare to strain, sift, from Arabic gharbala, from ghirbāl sieve, from Late Latin crībellum small sieve, from crībrum sieve

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

Word Origin and History for garble

garble

early 15c., "to inspect and remove refuse from (spices)," from Anglo-French garbeler "to sift" (late 14c.), from Medieval Latin and Italian garbellare, from Arabic gharbala "to sift and select spices," related to kirbal "sieve," perhaps from Late Latin cribellum, diminutive of Latin cribrum "sieve" (see crisis). Apparently a widespread word among Mediterranean traders (cf. Italian garbellare, Spanish garbillo); sense of "mix up, confuse, distort language" (by selecting some things and omitting others) first recorded 1680s. Related: Garbled; garbling.