sable

[ sey-buhl ]

/ ˈseɪ bəl /

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noun, plural sa·bles, (especially collectively for 1, 2) sa·ble.

an Old World weasellike mammal, Mustela zibellina, of cold regions in Eurasia and the North Pacific Islands, valued for its dark brown fur.

a marten, especially Mustela americana.

the fur of the sable.

the color black, often being one of the heraldic colors.

sables, mourning garments.

adjective

of the heraldic color sable.

made of the fur or hair of the sable.

very dark; black.

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Origin of sable

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English sable, saibel, sabil(le) “a sable, pelt of a sable; (the color) black,” from Old French sable, saibile “a sable, sable fur” (Medieval Latin sabel(l)um “sable fur”), from Middle Low German sabel (compare late Old High German zobel ), from Slavic or Baltic; compare Russian sóbol', Polish soból, Czech sobol, Lithuanian sàbalas; further origin uncertain

Words nearby sable

Sabine Lake, Sabinianus, Sabin vaccine, Sabir, sabkha, sable, sable antelope, sablefish, Sable Island pony, sabora, sabot

Other definitions for sable (2 of 2)

Sable

[ sey-buhl ]

/ ˈseɪ bəl /

noun

Cape Sable,

a cape on a small island at the southwestern tip of Nova Scotia, Canada: known for its lighthouse.
a cape at the southern tip of Florida.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sable in a sentence

From Jones’s perspective, the same thinking could be applied to Sable’s horses.
Sable Island’s famous wild horses are at the heart of a conservation controversy|Moira Donovan / Hakai Magazine|August 1, 2022|Popular-Science
The charming story follows a young woman, the titular Sable, as she begins a rite of passage that sets her out to explore the world on her own.
The 10 Best Video Games of 2021|Alex Fitzpatrick|December 14, 2021|Time
I consigned a pink 1950s full-skirted dress I wore to my engagement party, a K-letter sweater, a pair of men’s 1970s Lilly Pulitzer pants and a sable boa to a vintage store.
The pandemic gave me the time to finally clean out my shameful attic. Here’s what I learned.|Jura Koncius|January 21, 2021|Washington Post
These pictures are “diaristic,” Sable recently told a gallery visitor.
In the galleries: Middle East artists examine sheltering in place amid pandemic|Mark Jenkins|January 15, 2021|Washington Post

Wreaking havoc is one of Sable’s evident impulses, but maintaining balance is clearly just as important.
In the galleries: Middle East artists examine sheltering in place amid pandemic|Mark Jenkins|January 15, 2021|Washington Post
Salmon, tuna, sturgeon, mussels, oysters, and sable are marinated and smoked using hickory and alder wood.
Become a Fried Seafood Believer at South Beach Market|Jane & Michael Stern|April 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Other dark choices include Jet, Bruno, Bear, Sable, Midnight, Inky, and Ebony.
Top 20 Dog Names of the Future|Linda Rosenkrantz|February 14, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Car les Sauvages ayans encore de la reverence aux sepultures de leurs peres & amis, le vouloient porter au Cap de Sable 40.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
There were in Greece two young rakes, who were told by the oracle to beware of the melampygos or sable posteriors.
A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 1 (of 10)|Franois-Marie Arouet (AKA Voltaire)
Carry's tongue was unloosed as she bounded into the midst of the sable throng that swarmed about the carriage.
Alone|Marion Harland
It was on such a night that a great black hulk moved like a sable monster through the waters off the coast of Cuba.
Stories of Our Naval Heroes|Various
His mind did not run to the comprehension of the fact that he was the wearer of borrowed plumes—the sable plumes of King Death.
With Edged Tools|Henry Seton Merriman

British Dictionary definitions for sable (1 of 2)

sable

/ (ˈseɪbəl) /

noun plural -bles or -ble

a marten, Martes zibellina, of N Asian forests, with dark brown luxuriant furRelated adjective: zibeline

the highly valued fur of this animal
(as modifier)a sable coat

American sable the brown, slightly less valuable fur of the American marten, Martes americana

the colour of sable fur: a dark brown to yellowish-brown colour

adjective

of the colour of sable fur

black; dark; gloomy

(usually postpositive) heraldry of the colour black

Word Origin for sable

C15: from Old French, from Old High German zobel, of Slavic origin; related to Russian sobol', Polish sobol

British Dictionary definitions for sable (2 of 2)

Sable

/ (ˈseɪbəl) /

noun Cape Sable

a cape at the S tip of Florida: the southernmost point of continental US

the southernmost point of Nova Scotia, Canada

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

sable

Origin of sable

Words nearby sable

Other definitions for sable (2 of 2)

Words related to sable

How to use sable in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sable (1 of 2)

Word Origin for sable

British Dictionary definitions for sable (2 of 2)