noun
sable
SAY-buhl
noun
1
A small, weasel-like mammal prized for its soft, dark brown fur.
"The coat was trimmed with genuine sable fur."
2
A dark brown or black color, or garments of that color, especially worn in mourning.
"The mourners were dressed in somber sables."
adj
1
Black or very dark in color; in heraldry, the color black on a coat of arms.
"The knight's shield bore a sable lion on a gold field."
How to Use Sable
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the small fur-bearing animal itself, its prized dark fur, or (as an adjective) simply the color black, especially in heraldry or poetic writing.
Common pairings
sable fur
sable coat
sable brush
Word Forms
sabler comparative, sables plural, sablest superlative
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Etymology
From Old French sable, ultimately from a Slavic word for the animal, borrowed through Medieval Latin and Middle Low German as the fur trade carried the word westward.