nobble

[nob-uh l]

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.

Nearby words

Origin of nobble

1840–50; back formation from nobbler, variant of hobbler (dial. phrase an 'obbler being taken as a nobbler)

Related formsnob·bler, noun

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

Examples from the Web for nobble

Away at Nobble the females by whom he had been surrounded had not been attractive to him.
John Caldigate|Anthony Trollope
She was aware that letters were stamped at Nobble generally.
John Caldigate|Anthony Trollope
She could not account for the absence of the Nobble postmark.
John Caldigate|Anthony Trollope
Mrs. Henniker, of the hotel at Nobble, had offered to swear that there had been no marriage.
John Caldigate|Anthony Trollope

A letter so sent would, as you have been informed, bear two postmarks, those of Sydney and of Nobble.
John Caldigate|Anthony Trollope

British Dictionary definitions for nobble

nobble

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 Formsnobbler, 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