cobble

¹

[ kob-uhl ]

verb (used with object)

, cob·bled, cob·bling.

1. to mend (shoes, boots, etc.); patch.
2. to put together roughly or clumsily.

cobble

²

[ kob-uhl ]

noun

1. a cobblestone.
2. cobbles, coal in lumps larger than a pebble and smaller than a boulder.
3. Metalworking.
   1. a defect in a rolled piece resulting from loss of control over its movement.
   2. Slang. a piece showing bad workmanship.

verb (used with object)

, cob·bled, cob·bling.

1. to pave with cobblestones.

cobble

³

[ kob-uhl ]

noun

1. New England, New York State, and New Jersey. (especially in placenames) a rounded hill.

cobble

¹

/ ˈkɒbəl /

noun

1. short for cobblestone
2. geology a rock fragment, often rounded, with a diameter of 64–256 mm and thus smaller than a boulder but larger than a pebble

verb

1. tr to pave (a road) with cobblestones

cobble

²

/ ˈkɒbəl /

verb

1. to make or mend (shoes)
2. to put together clumsily

cobble

/ kŏb′əl /

1. A rock fragment larger than a pebble and smaller than a boulder. Pebbles have a diameter between 64 and 256 mm (2.56 and 10.24 inches) and are often rounded.

Derived Forms

• ˈcobbled, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cobble¹

First recorded in 1490–1500; apparently back formation from cobbler

Origin of cobble²

First recorded in 1595–1605; of uncertain origin; perhaps cob + -le; cobblestone

Origin of cobble³

First recorded in 1885–95; perhaps from cobble ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of cobble¹

C15 (in cobblestone ): from cob ¹

Origin of cobble²

C15: back formation from cobbler ¹

Example Sentences

The three-parter cobbles together decades of audio recordings of Manson in prison to paint a picture of his life before and after the infamous Tate-LaBianca murders carried out by his devotees.

From Salon

Deignan looks back fondly on her achievements, keeping many of her medals in a wooden box at home, along with the famous cobble trophy from Roubaix on the mantlepiece.

From BBC

Webb, who is retiring after five terms, has cobbled a fragile system that relies on funds and grants that may, or may not, be renewed.

From Los Angeles Times

Then at long last, Trump cobbled together…something.

From Salon

Held annually in April and October, the gothic gathering began in 1994 and now attracts large crowds to Whitby's cobbled streets.

From BBC

Related Words

• assemble
• complete
• construct
• create
• fabricate
• mass-produce
• synthesize