gabble

[ gab-uhl ]

verb (used without object)

, gab·bled, gab·bling.

1. to speak or converse rapidly and unintelligibly; jabber.
2. (of hens, geese, etc.) to cackle.

verb (used with object)

, gab·bled, gab·bling.

1. to utter rapidly and unintelligibly.

noun

1. rapid, unintelligible talk.
2. any quick succession of meaningless sounds.

gabble

/ ˈɡæbəl /

verb

1. to utter (words, etc) rapidly and indistinctly; jabber
2. intr (of geese and some other birds or animals) to utter rapid cackling noises

noun

1. rapid and indistinct speech or noises

Derived Forms

• ˈgabbler, noun

Other Words From

• gabbler noun
• outgabble verb (used with object) outgabbled outgabbling

Word History and Origins

Origin of gabble¹

First recorded in 1570–80; perhaps from Middle Dutch gabbelen, or an expressive formation in English; gab ¹, gob ⁴, -le

Word History and Origins

Origin of gabble¹

C17: from Middle Dutch gabbelen , of imitative origin

Example Sentences

Hugo House is steamy by comparison, a hotbed of nerves and gabble.

From Seattle Times

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.

From Literature

He poked his head into the doorway and began to gabble good-naturedly about something or other, and after a few minutes we picked up our drinks and followed him back to the living room.

From Literature

The Guide excoriated herself for her failure to make the Traveller understand the ecstasy of watching and waiting and overseeing a machine — how it was almost painful to be tossed into the real-time gabble of communication and conversation — and how their society, far from being an example of humankind’s doom, was, rather, its apotheosis.

From Nature

As the arguments gabble on, only occasionally acknowledging their own hypothetical nature given how little we know about how the virus will proceed, how long the lockdown may last and whether there may be a second wave of infections when it is lifted, it’s tempting t o dip into another hypothetical.

From The Guardian