sable

¹ American  

[sey-buhl] / ˈseɪ bəl /

noun

plural

sables, sable

1. an Old World weasellike mammal, Mustela zibellina, of cold regions in Eurasia and the North Pacific Islands, valued for its dark brown fur.

2. a marten, especially Mustela americana.

3. the fur of the sable.

4. the color black, often being one of the heraldic colors.

5. sables, mourning garments.

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adjective

1. of the heraldic color sable.

2. made of the fur or hair of the sable.

3. very dark; black.

Sable ² American  

[sey-buhl] / ˈseɪ bəl /

noun

1. Cape Sable,

   1. a cape on a small island at the southwestern tip of Nova Scotia, Canada: known for its lighthouse.

   2. a cape at the southern tip of Florida.

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sable ¹ British  

/ ˈseɪbəl /

noun

1. a marten, Martes zibellina, of N Asian forests, with dark brown luxuriant fur

2. 1. the highly valued fur of this animal

   2. ( as modifier )

      a sable coat

3. the brown, slightly less valuable fur of the American marten, Martes americana

4. the colour of sable fur: a dark brown to yellowish-brown colour

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adjective

1. of the colour of sable fur

2. black; dark; gloomy

3. (usually postpositive) heraldry of the colour black

Sable ² British  

/ ˈseɪbəl /

noun

1. a cape at the S tip of Florida: the southernmost point of continental US

2. the southernmost point of Nova Scotia, Canada

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Etymology

Origin of sable

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English sable, saibel, sabil(le) “a sable, pelt of a sable; (the color) black,” from Old French sable, saibile “a sable, sable fur” ( Medieval Latin sabel(l)um “sable fur”), from Middle Low German sabel (compare late Old High German zobel ), from Slavic or Baltic; compare Russian sóbol', Polish soból, Czech sobol, Lithuanian sàbalas; further origin uncertain