cable

1 of 2

noun

ca·​ble ˈkā-bəl 

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

: cable length

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 

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

Synonyms

Noun

• cord
• lace
• lacing
• line
• rope
• string
• wire

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

DirecTV launched in 1994 and Dish followed in 1996, and the two satellite TV companies provided robust competition to incumbent cable TV operators. —Todd Spangler, Variety, 22 Nov. 2024

This is the best long cable in our best USB-C cables guide. —Simon Hill, WIRED, 22 Nov. 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

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

Phrases Containing cable

• cable box
• cable car
• cable-knit
• cable-laid
• cable length
• cable modem
• cable television
• coaxial cable
• pay-cable

Kids Definition

cable

1 of 2 noun

ca·​ble ˈkā-bəl 

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

: cablegram

5

: cable television

cable

2 of 2 verb

cabled; cabling ˈkā-b(ə-)liŋ 

1

: to fasten or provide with a cable

2

: to telegraph by cable

Biographical Definition

Cable

biographical name

Ca·​ble ˈkā-bəl 

George Washington 1844–1925 American novelist