nobble

[ nob-uhl ]

/ ˈnɒb əl /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: nobbling on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), nob·bled, nob·bling.British Slang.

to drug or disable (a race horse) to prevent its winning a race.

to convince (a person) by fraudulent methods; misrepresent or lie to.

to swindle; defraud.

to seize (a person); hold for arrest.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.

Question 1 of 7

“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

true

false

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of nobble

First recorded in 1840–50; back formation from nobbler, variant of hobbler (dialectal phrase an 'obbler being taken as a nobbler)

OTHER WORDS FROM nobble

nobbler, noun

Words nearby nobble

Noahide Laws, Noah's Ark, Noah's Dove, nob, no ball, nobble, nobbut, nobby, Nobel, Nobelist, nobelium

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use nobble in a sentence

I allus said any fool can be a smith but it takes a good man to nobble.
Life in a Railway Factory|Alfred Williams
The son did not write from Melbourne, nor from Nobble,—nor from Ahalala till gold had been found.
John Caldigate|Anthony Trollope
His luggage was all right in the warehouse, and he arranged that it should be sent down to Nobble.
John Caldigate|Anthony Trollope
You once nobble that, congregation, and a buck joyride to heaven becomes a back number.
Ulysses|James Joyce

Dick told him that they had heard of that very successful mining enterprise since their arrival at Nobble.
John Caldigate|Anthony Trollope

British Dictionary definitions for nobble

nobble

/ (ˈnɒbəl) /

verb (tr) British slang

to disable (a racehorse), esp with drugs

to win over or outwit (a person) by underhand means

to suborn (a person, esp a juror) by threats, bribery, etc

to steal; filch

to get hold of; grab

to kidnap

Derived forms of nobble

nobbler, noun

Word Origin for nobble

C19: back formation from nobbler, from false division of an hobbler (one who hobbles horses) as a nobbler

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