GABBLE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does gabble mean? 

• GABBLE (noun)
  The noun GABBLE has 1 sense:

1. rapid and indistinct speech

  Familiarity information: GABBLE used as a noun is very rare.

• GABBLE (verb)
  The verb GABBLE has 1 sense:

1. speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly

  Familiarity information: GABBLE used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• GABBLE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Rapid and indistinct speech

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

gabble; jabber; jabbering

Hypernyms ("gabble" is a kind of...):

gibber; gibberish (unintelligible talking)

Derivation:

gabble (speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly)

• GABBLE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they gabble    ... he / she / it gabbles   
Past simple: gabbled   
Past participle: gabbled   
-ing form: gabbling   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

blab; blabber; chatter; clack; gabble; gibber; maunder; palaver; piffle; prate; prattle; tattle; tittle-tattle; twaddle

Hypernyms (to "gabble" is one way to...):

mouth; speak; talk; utter; verbalise; verbalize (express in speech)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "gabble"):

babble; blather; blether; blither; smatter (to talk foolishly)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

gabble (rapid and indistinct speech)

 Context examples 

To complete his strange appearance, Captain Flint sat perched upon his shoulder and gabbling odds and ends of purposeless sea-talk.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

Another knock and the appearance of two young ladies sent me back to my work, and there I virtuously remained through all the noise and gabbling that went on next door.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

We were walking slowly towards these rocks, among bushes which reached over our waists, when we became aware of a strange low gabbling and whistling sound, which filled the air with a constant clamor and appeared to come from some spot immediately before us.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A regular German—rather stout, with brown hair tumbled all over his head, a bushy beard, good nose, the kindest eyes I ever saw, and a splendid big voice that does one's ears good, after our sharp or slipshod American gabble.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

The girl had gone, and I thought he had also, it was so still, and I was busily gabbling over a verb, and rocking to and fro in a most absurd way, when a little crow made me look up, and there was Mr. Bhaer looking and laughing quietly, while he made signs to Tina not to betray him.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)