nobble

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   British informal: to bribe, persuade, intimidate, or otherwise secure improper influence over someone

   The reporter suspected that the witness had been nobbled before the hearing.

2. 2
   verb

   to drug or injure a racehorse or competitor so that it cannot perform properly

   Officials discovered an attempt to nobble the favorite before the race.

3. 3
   verb

   British informal: to steal, seize, or catch

   Someone nobbled his wallet on the crowded train.

A nineteenth-century British slang word of uncertain origin. Its early senses involved cheating a horse or influencing a person corruptly, later broadening to stealing, seizing, or catching.

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