cobble

¹ American  

[kob-uhl] / ˈkɒb əl /

verb (used with object)

cobbled, cobbling

1. to mend (shoes, boots, etc.); patch.

2. to put together roughly or clumsily.

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cobble ² American  

[kob-uhl] / ˈkɒb əl /

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.

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verb (used with object)

cobbled, cobbling

1. to pave with cobblestones.

cobble ³ American  

[kob-uhl] / ˈkɒb əl /

noun

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

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cobble ¹ British  

/ 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

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verb

1. (tr) to pave (a road) with cobblestones

cobble ² British  

/ ˈkɒbəl /

verb

1. to make or mend (shoes)

2. to put together clumsily

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cobble Scientific  

/ 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.

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Other Word Forms

• cobbled adjective

Etymology

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

Example Sentences

I had language class Friday evenings, one powwow in the summer, and whatever community my parents cobbled together.

From Literature

The summer of 1886 found the artist in Honfleur, whose historic character and cobbled streets had long made it a haunt for painters, including the Impressionists, and tourists.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Marc by Sofia” is a deceptively heartwarming ode to self-expression, and the kind of life that can be cobbled together with an unyielding commitment to individuality.

From Salon

Over a decadeslong buying spree, he cobbled together an empire that spanned 250 properties and 206 million square feet—giving Simon control of more retail space than anyone in the world.

From The Wall Street Journal

At the time, the bank was a mishmash of financial firms that had been recently cobbled together.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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