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Webster 1913 Edition

Sable

Sa′ble

,
Noun.
[OF.
sable
, F.
zibeline
sable (in sense 4), LL.
sabellum
; cf. D.
sabel
, Dan.
sabel
,
zobel
, Sw.
sabel
,
sobel
, G.
zobel
; all fr. Russ.
sóbole
.]
1.
(Zool.)
A carnivorous animal of the Weasel family (
Mustela zibellina
) native of the northern latitudes of Europe, Asia, and America, – noted for its fine, soft, and valuable fur.
☞ The sable resembles the marten, but has a longer head and ears. Its fur consists of a soft under wool, with a dense coat of hair, overtopped by another still longer. It varies greatly in color and quality according to the locality and the season of the year. The darkest and most valuable furs are taken in autumn and winter in the colder parts of Siberia, Russia, and British North America.
☞ The American sable, or marten, was formerly considered a distinct species (
Mustela Americana
), but it differs very little from the Asiatic sable, and is now considered only a geographical variety.
2.
The fur of the sable.
3.
A mourning garment; a funeral robe; – generally in the plural.
“Sables wove by destiny.”
Young.
4.
(Her.)
The tincture black; – represented by vertical and horizontal lines crossing each other.

Sa′ble

,
Adj.
Of the color of the sable’s fur; dark; black; – used chiefly in poetry.
Night,
sable
goddess! from her ebon throne,
In rayless majesty, now stretches forth
Her leaden scepter o'er a slumbering world.
Young.
Sable antelope
(Zool.)
,
a large South African antelope (
Hippotragus niger
). Both sexes have long, sharp horns. The adult male is black; the female is dark chestnut above, white beneath.
–
Sable iron
,
a superior quality of Russia iron; – so called because originally stamped with the figure of a sable.
–
Sable mouse
(Zool.)
,
the lemming.

Sa′ble

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Sabled
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Sabling
.]
To render sable or dark; to drape darkly or in black.
Sabled
all in black the shady sky.
G. Fletcher.

Webster 1828 Edition

Sable

SABLE

,
Noun.
1.
A small animal of the weasel kind, the mustela zibelina, found in the northern latitudes of America and Asia. It resembles the martin, but has a longer head and ears. Its hair is cinereous, but black at the tips. This animal burrows in the earth or under trees; in winter and summer subsisting on small animals, and in autumn on berries. The fur is very valuable.
2.
The fur of the sable.

Definition 2024

Sable

Sable

See also: sable and sablé

English

Proper noun

Sable

  1. A surname​.

sable

sable

See also: sablé and Sable

English

Alternative forms

  • sa., s. (in heraldic contexts)

Noun

A sable (Martes zibellina)

sable ‎(countable and uncountable, plural sables)

  1. A small carnivorous mammal of the Old World that resembles a weasel, Martes zibellina, from cold regions in Eurasia and the North Pacific islands, valued for its dark brown fur (Wikipedia).
  2. The marten, especially Martes americana (syn. Mustela americana).
  3. The fur or pelt of the sable or other species of martens; a coat made from this fur.
  4. An artist's brush made from the fur of the sable (Wikipedia).
  5. (heraldry) A black colour on a coat of arms.
  6. A black colour, resembling the fur of some sables.
    sable colour:    
  7. (in the plural, sables) Black garments, especially worn in mourning.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Young
      Sables wove by destiny.
    • 1907, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, “chapter I”, in The Younger Set (Project Gutenberg; EBook #14852), New York, N.Y.: A. L. Burt Company, published 1 February 2005 (Project Gutenberg version), OCLC 4241346:
      […] a delighted shout from the children swung him toward the door again. His sister, Mrs. Gerard, stood there in carriage gown and sables, radiant with surprise. "Phil!  You!  Exactly like you, Philip, to come strolling in from the antipodes—dear fellow!" recovering from the fraternal embrace and holding both lapels of his coat in her gloved hands.

Translations

Derived terms

Related terms

Adjective

sable ‎(comparative more sable, superlative most sable)

  1. Of the black colour sable.
  2. (heraldry): In blazon, of the colour black.
  3. Made of sable fur.
  4. Dark, somber.
    • 1922, Michael Arlen, chapter 3/2/1, in “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days:
      She turned and waved a hand to him, she cried a word, but he didn't hear it, it was a lost word. A sable wraith she was in the parkland, fading away into the dolorous crypt of winter.

Translations

See also

  • Appendix:Colors

References

  • Random House Dictionary, 2nd Edition, 1987.

Anagrams

Asturian

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈsa.βle/

Etymology 1

From French sable and this from Late Latin sablum, from Latin sabulum, alternative form of sabulō. Compare sablera. Compare Italian sabbia, Occitan sabla.

Noun

sable m ‎(plural sables)

  1. sand

Etymology 2

From Spanish sable and this from French sabre, from German Säbel, from Hungarian szablya, cognate with Danish sabel, Russian са́бля ‎(sáblja), Polish szabla, Serbo-Croatian сабља.

Alternative forms

Noun

sable m ‎(plural sables)

  1. saber
  2. edge of a scythe

Basque

Alternative forms

Noun

sable

  1. sabre, saber

Catalan

Noun

sable m ‎(plural sables)

  1. (heraldry) sable

French

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /sɑbl/
  • (Quebec) IPA(key): [sɑɔ̯bl]

Etymology 1

From Late Latin sablum, from Latin sabulum, alternative form of sabulō. Compare sablon, which was used more often in Old French. Compare Italian sabbia, Occitan sabla.

Noun

sable m ‎(plural sables)

  1. sand
Derived terms

Etymology 2

From Old French martre sable ‎(“sable marten”), an animal. From Middle Low German sabel (compare Middle Dutch sabel, Middle High German zobel); ultimately from a Balto-Slavic word (compare Russian со́боль ‎(sóbolʹ), Polish soból, Czech sobol). Compare also Persian [script needed] ‎(samōr).

Noun

sable m ‎(plural sables)

  1. (heraldry) The heraldic colour sable; black.

Etymology 3

From sabler

Verb

sable

  1. first-person singular present indicative of sabler
  2. third-person singular present indicative of sabler
  3. first-person singular present subjunctive of sabler
  4. first-person singular present subjunctive of sabler
  5. second-person singular imperative of sabler

Anagrams

Old French

Noun

sable m ‎(oblique plural sables, nominative singular sables, nominative plural sable)

  1. sable (fur of a sable)

Portuguese

Adjective

sable m, f ‎(plural sables, comparable)

  1. (heraldry) sable (of black colour on a coat of arms)

Synonyms

Noun

sable m (uncountable)

  1. (heraldry) sable (the black colour on coats of arms)

Synonyms

Spanish

Adjective

sable m, f ‎(plural sables)

  1. (heraldry) sable

Noun

sable m ‎(plural sables)

  1. saber, cutlass
  2. (fencing) saber

Derived terms

  • diente de sable

Etymology

Attested since 1275, from Middle English, from Old French sable and martre sable ‎(“sable martin”), in reference to the animal or its fur; from Medieval Latin sabelum, from Middle Low German sabel (compare Middle Dutch sabel, Middle High German zobel); ultimately from a Balto-Slavic word (compare Russian со́боль ‎(sóbolʹ), Polish soból, Czech sobol). Compare also Middle Persian smwl ‎(*samōr).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈseɪbəl/, /ˈseɪbɫ/
  • Rhymes: -eɪbəl

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