cable

1 of 2

noun

ca·​ble ˈkā-bəl How to pronounce cable (audio)
often attributive
1
a
: a strong rope especially of 10 inches (25 centimeters) or more in circumference
b
: a cable-laid rope
c
: a wire rope or metal chain of great tensile strength
d
: a wire or wire rope by which force is exerted to control or operate a mechanism
2
3
a
: an assembly of electrical conductors insulated from each other but laid up together (as by being twisted around a central core)
b
: cablegram
also : a radio message or telegram
4
: something resembling or fashioned like a cable
a fiber-optic cable
5
a
: cable television
a house with cable
b
: a cable infrastructure used to provide services other than television
often used before another noun
cable Internet
cable telephony

cable

2 of 2

verb

cabled; cabling ˈkā-b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce cable (audio)

transitive verb

1
: to fasten with or as if with a cable
2
: to provide with a cable or cables
3
: to telegraph by submarine cable
4
: to make into a cable or into a form resembling a cable

intransitive verb

: to communicate by a submarine cable
cabler
ˈkā-b(ə-)lər
noun

Examples of cable in a Sentence

Noun The bridge is held up by cables. Their company supplied cable for the project. We need more cable to hook up the computers. Verb She cabled the news to the United States. She cabled her parents for money. The soldiers cabled back to headquarters.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Since 2019, cord-cutting has robbed the Diamond RSNs of as many as 25 million subscribers, and the headlong rush to uncouple from the traditional cable/satellite/telco-TV bundle is only accelerating. Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 18 Oct. 2024 Disney is home for the new incarnation of another signature NBCU cable reality series, E!’s Keeping Up With the Kardashians. Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2024
Verb
That includes everything from gym memberships to digital streaming and e-commerce to cable TV service. Erika Tulfo, CNN, 16 Oct. 2024 Users can cable to a computer via HDMI or DisplayPort, but the screen also comes with dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity for wireless sharing over AirPlay or Miracast. Paul Ridden, New Atlas, 11 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cable 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin capulum lasso, from Latin capere to take — more at heave entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

circa 1500, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cable was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near cable

Cite this Entry

“Cable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cable. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

cable

1 of 2 noun
ca·​ble ˈkā-bəl How to pronounce cable (audio)
1
: a very strong thick rope, wire, or chain
2
: a wire or wire rope by which force is applied to operate a piece of machinery
brake cable
3
: a bundle of electrical wires held together usually around a central core
4
5

cable

2 of 2 verb
cabled; cabling ˈkā-b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce cable (audio)
1
: to fasten or provide with a cable
2
: to telegraph by cable

Biographical Definition

Cable

biographical name

Ca·​ble ˈkā-bəl How to pronounce Cable (audio)
George Washington 1844–1925 American novelist

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