ca|ble

ca|ble «KAY buhl», noun, verb, -bled, -bling.

–n.

1. a strong, thick rope, now usually made of wires twisted together: »

The truck used a cable to tow the automobile. Large suspension bridges, such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, hang supported by steel-wire cables (Walter R. Williams, Jr.).

2. a) the rope or chain by which an anchor is raised and lowered. b) = cable's length. (Cf. ↑cable's length)

3. a) an insulated bundle of wires which carries an electric current. Telegraph messages are sent across the ocean by a waterproof, underwater cable. »

Current was restored while they were repairing high-tension cables (London Times).

b) = coaxial cable. (Cf. ↑coaxial cable) c) a bundle of optical fibers that carries information in the form of extremely rapid pulses of light.

4. a message sent across the ocean by cable; cablegram: »

A transoceanic cable arrived from Paris.

5. an ornament with a design like that of a cable.

6. = cable television: (Cf. ↑cable television) »

Seventy percent of Canadian households have access to cable (Maclean's).

–v.t.

1. to tie or fasten with a cable: »

A ship was cabled to the pier.

2. to send (a message) across the ocean by underwater cable: »

He cabled the good news about his arrival from Rome.

3. to send a cablegram to: »

The sailor cabled his family from Tokyo.

4. to provide with a cable or cables.

–v.i.

1. to send a message across the ocean by underwater cable; communicate by cable: »

We will cable when we arrive.

2. to provide with a cable or cables.

╂[< Old North French cable < Late Latin capulum halter < Latin capere take hold of]

–ca´ble|less, adjective.

–ca´ble|like´, adjective.