gable

¹

[ gey-buhl ]

noun

, Architecture.

1. the portion of the front or side of a building enclosed by or masking the end of a pitched roof.
2. a decorative member suggesting a gable, used especially in Gothic architecture.
3. Also called gable wall. a wall bearing a gable.

Gable

²

[ gey-buhl ]

noun

1. (William) Clark, 1901–60, U.S. film actor.

gable

¹

/ ˈɡeɪbəl /

noun

1. the triangular upper part of a wall between the sloping ends of a pitched roof ( gable roof )
2. a triangular ornamental feature in the form of a gable, esp as used over a door or window
3. the triangular wall on both ends of a gambrel roof

Gable

²

/ ˈɡeɪbəl /

noun

1. Gable(William) Clark19011960MUSFILMS AND TV: actor ( William ) Clark. 1901–60, US film actor. His films include It Happened One Night (1934), San Francisco (1936), Gone with the Wind (1939), Mogambo (1953), and The Misfits (1960)

Derived Forms

• ˈgabled, adjective
• ˈgable-ˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• ga·ble·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of gable¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Old French (of Germanic origin); cognate with Old Norse gafl; compare Old English gafol, geafel “a fork”

Word History and Origins

Origin of gable¹

C14: Old French gable , probably from Old Norse gafl ; related to Old English geafol fork, Old High German gibil gable

Example Sentences

Esquire magazine, in 1960, listed him as one of the best-dressed men in America, along with Clark Gable, Fred Astaire and Cary Grant.

From Los Angeles Times

Wyatt Gable, a 21-year-old in his last year at East Carolina University, won the Republican primary for North Carolina’s House of Representatives.

From BBC

Clark Gable, left, and Vivien Leigh in “Gone with the Wind.”

From Los Angeles Times

Cristobal gave Wayne a significant amount of playing time as a true freshman once he arrived at Coral Gables, Fla. He appeared eight times, making 13 tackles including 0.5 tackles for a loss.

From Seattle Times

Daniel Robert Graham was born Nov. 9, 1936, in Coral Gables, where his father, Ernest “Cap” Graham, had moved from South Dakota and established a large dairy operation.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• ceiling
• house