sable

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See also: sablé and Sable

English[edit]

English Wikipedia has articles on:
Wikipedia

Alternative forms[edit]

  • sa., s. (in heraldic contexts)

Etymology[edit]

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). Doublet of sobol. Compare also Middle Persian smwl (*samōr).

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ˈseɪbəl/, /ˈseɪbɫ/
  • Audio (US)
    		(file)
  • Rhymes: -eɪbəl
  • Hyphenation: sa‧ble

Noun[edit]

A sable (Martes zibellina)

sable (countable and uncountable, plural sables)

  1. (countable) 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. (countable) The marten, especially Martes americana (syn. Mustela americana).
  3. (countable and uncountable) The fur or pelt of the sable or other species of martens; a coat made from this fur.
  4. (countable) An artist's brush made from the fur of the sable (Wikipedia).
  5. (heraldry) A black colour on a coat of arms (Wikipedia).
    sable (heraldry):  
  6. (countable and uncountable) A dark brown colour, resembling the fur of some sables.
    sable:  
  7. (in the plural, sables) Black garments, especially worn in mourning.

Derived terms[edit]

Related terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

Adjective[edit]

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, “3/2/1”, in “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days‎[2]:
      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.
  5. (obsolete, literary) Dark-skinned; black.
    • 1789, Olaudah Equiano, The Interesting Narrative, vol. I, ch. 7:
      Some of the sable females, who formerly stood aloof, now began to relax and appear less coy; but my heart was still fixed on London, where I hoped to be ere long.
    • 1880 June 19, Henry Kendall, “My Piccaninny”, in The Australian Town and Country Journal, page 28, column 4:
      Ethnologists are in the wrong / About our sable brothers[.]
    • 1905, Banjo Paterson, Old Bush Songs, page 40:
      For twelve long months I had to pace, / Humping my swag with a cadging face, / Sleeping in the bush, like the sable race.

Synonyms[edit]

Translations[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  • Random House Dictionary, 2nd Edition, 1987.

Anagrams[edit]

Asturian[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ˈsable/, [ˈsa.β̞le]

Etymology 1[edit]

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

Noun[edit]

sable m (plural sables)

  1. sand

Etymology 2[edit]

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[edit]

Noun[edit]

sable m (plural sables)

  1. saber
  2. edge of a scythe

Basque[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Noun[edit]

sable

  1. sabre, saber

Catalan[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

sable m (plural sables)

  1. (heraldry) sable

French[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Old French, from Vulgar Latin or 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[edit]

sable m (plural sables)

  1. sand
    un grain de sable ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)
Derived terms[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

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 سمور‎ (samur).

Noun[edit]

sable m (plural sables)

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

Etymology 3[edit]

From sabler

Verb[edit]

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. third-person singular present subjunctive of sabler
  5. second-person singular imperative of sabler

Anagrams[edit]

Further reading[edit]

Galician[edit]

sables

Etymology[edit]

13th century. From older savel, from *sabŏlos, from Proto-Celtic *samos (“summer”). Cognate with Portuguese sável and Spanish sábalo.[1]

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

sable f (plural sables)

  1. allis shad (Alosa alosa)
    • 1274, M. Sponer (ed.), "Documentos antiguos de Galicia", Anuari de l'Oficina Románica de Lingüística i Literatura (Barcelona), 7, page 76:
      Outroſi nos dardes cadá ãno por kalendas mayaſ una duzea de bonoſ [s]auééſ τ outra duzea de lanpreas
      Also, you shall give to us yearly, by the calends of May, a dozen good shads and another dozen lampreys
    • 1319, Ermelindo Portela Silva (ed.), La región del obispado de Tuy en los siglos XII a XV. Una sociedad en expansión y en la crisis. Santiago: Tip. El Eco Franciscano, page 393:
      vos que ayades esa renda da dizima dos savees e do pescado que y sayr en vossa vida e despos vosa morte que fique a nos o dito arynno
      you should have this rent of a tenth of the shads and of the fish that is captured there, in your life, and after your death this sand island should return to us
    Synonyms: sabenla, tasca, zamborca

References[edit]

  1. ^ Coromines, Joan; Pascual, José A. (1983–1991), “sábalo”, in Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico (in Spanish), Madrid: Gredos, →ISBN

Old French[edit]

Noun[edit]

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

  1. sable (fur of a sable)

Portuguese[edit]

Adjective[edit]

sable m or f (plural sables, comparable)

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

Noun[edit]

sable m (uncountable)

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

Spanish[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ˈsable/, [ˈsa.β̞le]

Adjective[edit]

sable (plural sables)

  1. (heraldry) sable

Noun[edit]

sable m (plural sables)

  1. saber, cutlass
  2. (fencing) saber

Derived terms[edit]

Further reading[edit]

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