cobble

1 of 2

verb

cob·​ble ˈkä-bəl 

cobbled; cobbling ˈkä-b(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

1

chiefly British : to mend or patch coarsely

2

: repair, make

cobble shoes

3

: to make or put together roughly or hastily

—often used with together or up

cobble together an agreement

cobble up a temporary solution

cobble

2 of 2

noun

1

: cobblestone

2

cobbles plural, chiefly British : lump coal about the size of small cobblestones

Synonyms

Verb

• jury-rig
• patch (together)
• throw up

Examples of cobble in a Sentence

Verb

expensive leather shoes cobbled in Italy

Noun

a street paved with cobbles

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

And so, while its lofty ambitions may be tempered by the aesthetic acrobatics that encase them, Emin’s feature is a wonderfully bizarre creation that feels as cobbled together, unruly yet expansive, as its fearsome monster. —Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 7 Oct. 2024

While most businesses support heterogeneous environments cobbled together over time, organizations are best served by taking a more prescriptive approach to the models, techniques and infrastructure that support their applications. —Clint Boulton, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024

Noun

Maybe Vance can slip over into southwestern Pennsylvania and cobble together some more votes from the Laurel Highlands. —Philip Bump, Washington Post, 16 July 2024

Action, not words, is needed now to end the suffering, silence the beating of war drums, and cobble back together the fragile coalition Biden needs to remain in power. —Joseph Geevarghese, Baltimore Sun, 2 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English coblen, perhaps back-formation from cobelere cobbler

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

cobble

1 of 2 verb

cob·​ble ˈkäb-əl 

cobbled; cobbling -(ə-)liŋ 

: to make roughly or hastily

—often used with together or up

cobble

2 of 2 noun

: a rounded stone larger than a pebble and smaller than a boulder