WordGarden.ionobble
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /nˈɒbəl/
US
- /nˈɑːbəl/
Meanings
Verb
to bribe, rig, or otherwise interfere with someone or something to secure an unfair outcome
to catch, seize, or arrest someone, especially unexpectedly
Beyond the definition
In horse racing, "to nobble" first meant to stop a horse from winning, often by drugging it or harming it before the race. From there, the word grew wider. In modern British English, it often means to unfairly influence someone, such as a juror, witness, or official, by using money, pressure, or threats. It can also mean to stop someone and get them to talk to you, usually because you want something from them.
Originally, "to nobble" referred to the dishonest act of stopping a racehorse from winning, often by drugging it or otherwise interfering with it before the race. The idea is not simple defeat, but planned interference to change the result unfairly.
Over time, the word broadened. A person can be "nobbled" if someone gets them to cooperate by bribing them, leaning on them, or threatening them. This is why the word often appears in stories about juries, witnesses, politics, sport, or business, where someone is trying to bend the rules behind the scenes. In another, less serious sense, it can mean to catch someone for a quick word or to stop them so you can ask for something. Across these uses, the common thread is getting control of a person or outcome in a deliberate, often unfair way.
Examples
- 1
Race fixing
Someone tried to nobble the racehorse before the big race.
- Usage
mainly British informal
- 2
Witness tampering
The gang was accused of trying to nobble a witness before the trial.
- 3
Quick request
I'll try to nobble Kate after the meeting and ask her about the budget.
- Patternnobble + person
catch someone's attention, usually to ask them something
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
Contrast
- play fair
- leave untouched
Used with (collocations)
- nobble the jury
- nobble a witness
- nobble the opposition
- nobble a racehorse
Word family
- nobbled
- nobbling
Explore
- corruption
- witness intimidation
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- nobbleverb