noun
cable
KAY-buhl
noun
1
A thick, strong rope or bundle of wires used to pull, support, or carry electricity or signals.
"The bridge is held up by massive steel cables."
"Check that the charging cable is fully plugged in."
verb
1
To send a message by telegraph or undersea cable; more loosely, to send an urgent message.
"He cabled home as soon as the ship reached port."
How to Use Cable
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA strong wire or rope, or the act of sending a message over one.
Common pairings
power cable
cable television
fibre-optic cable
Word Forms
cabled past tense, Cables plural, cables singular
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The bridge is held up by massive steel _____.
Etymology
From Middle English cable, via Old Northern French, ultimately from Latin capere ("to take, seize") — the original sense was a rope strong enough to "seize" and hold something fast.