nobble

American  

[nob-uhl] / ˈnɒb əl /

verb (used with object)

British Slang.

nobbled, nobbling

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

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

3. to swindle; defraud.

4. to seize (a person); hold for arrest.

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nobble British  

/ ˈnɒbəl /

verb

1. to disable (a racehorse), esp with drugs

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

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

4. to steal; filch

5. to get hold of; grab

6. to kidnap

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Other Word Forms

• nobbler noun

Etymology

Origin of nobble

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

Example Sentences

Other Welsh words in the latest update of the OED include nobbling and scram.

From BBC

If this player turns up and is not nobbled by either Manchester United in the FA Cup final or Inter Milan in the Champions League final I am convinced City will achieve the Treble.

From BBC

A couple of hours before, Asher-Smith revealed a hamstring problem had nobbled her chances.

From BBC

"We found ourselves, strangely for a comedy show, at the mercy of developments in Westminster and Brussels," says Hodgson, who admits feeling "slightly nobbled" by the latest postponement.

From BBC

Free speech and peaceful assembly are severely restricted, media are censored, courts and judges are nobbled, and NGOs, religious minorities and human rights activists are harassed and persecuted.

From The Guardian