garble

C2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈɡɑː(ɹ)bəl/ See IPA manual

Freq #118911

Meanings

1

verb
To pick out such parts (of a text) as may serve a purpose not intended by the original author; to mutilate; to pervert.

To garble a quotation.
2

verb
To make false by mutilation or addition.

The editor garbled the story.
3

verb
To sift or bolt; to separate the fine or valuable parts of (something) from the coarse and useless parts, or from dross or dirt.

To garble spices.
4

noun
Confused or unintelligible speech.

The FCC says it decided to attempt standardization of VHF receivers after getting "thousands of complaints" from disgruntled boatmen who found their sets brought in mostly a lot of garble and static.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Word family

Forms garbled

Derived forms garbleablegarbledgarblementgarblergarblyungarble

Etymology

From Middle English garbelen, from Anglo-Norman garbeler (“to sift”), from Medieval Latin garbellare (or a similar Italian word), from Arabic غَرْبَلَ (ḡarbala, “to sift”).

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# garble

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈɡɑː(ɹ)bəl/
**Frequency rank:** 118911

## Meanings
1. To pick out such parts (of a text) as may serve a purpose not intended by the original author; to mutilate; to pervert.
2. To make false by mutilation or addition.
3. To sift or bolt; to separate the fine or valuable parts of (something) from the coarse and useless parts, or from dross or dirt.
4. Confused or unintelligible speech.

## Examples
- To garble a quotation.
- The editor garbled the story.
- To garble spices.
- The FCC says it decided to attempt standardization of VHF receivers after getting "thousands of complaints" from disgruntled boatmen who found their sets brought in mostly a lot of garble and static.

## Derived Forms
- garbleable
- garbled
- garblement
- garbler
- garbly
- ungarble

## Etymology
From Middle English garbelen, from Anglo-Norman garbeler (“to sift”), from Medieval Latin garbellare (or a similar Italian word), from Arabic غَرْبَلَ (ḡarbala, “to sift”).

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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