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Webster 1913 Edition


Garble

Gar′ble

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Garbled
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Garbling
.]
[Formerly, to pick out, sort, OF.
grabeler
, for
garbeler
to examine precisely, garble spices, fr. LL.
garbellare
to sift; cf. Sp.
garbillar
to sift,
garbillo
a coarse sieve, L.
cribellum
, dim. of
cribrum
sieve, akin to
cernere
to separate, sift (cf. E.
Discern
); or perh. rather from Ar.
gharbāl
,
gharbil
, sieve.]
1.
To sift or bolt, to separate the fine or valuable parts of from the coarse and useless parts, or from dros or dirt;
as, to
garble
spices
.
[Obs.]
2.
To pick out such parts of as may serve a purpose; to mutilate; to pervert;
as, to
garble
a quotation; to
garble
an account.

Gar′ble

,
Noun.
1.
Refuse; rubbish.
[Obs.]
Wolcott.
2.
pl.
Impurities separated from spices, drugs, etc.; – also called
garblings
.

Webster 1828 Edition


Garble

G`ARBLE

,
Verb.
T.
[L. cribro, cribello.]
1.
Properly, to sift or bolt; to separate the fine or valuabale parts of a substance from the coarse and useless parts,or from dross or dirt; as, to garble spices.
2.
To separate; to pick; to cull out.

Definition 2024


garble

garble

English

Verb

garble (third-person singular simple present garbles, present participle garbling, simple past and past participle garbled)

  1. (obsolete) To sift or bolt, to separate the fine or valuable parts of from the coarse and useless parts, or from dross or dirt; as, to garble spices.
  2. To pick out such parts of as may serve a purpose; to mutilate; to pervert; as, to garble a quotation; to garble an account.
  3. To make false by mutilation or addition
    The editor garbled the story.

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

garble (plural garbles)

  1. (obsolete) Refuse; rubbish.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Wolcott to this entry?)
  2. (obsolete) Impurities separated from spices, drugs, etc.; garblings.

External links

  • garble in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
  • garble in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911