nobble

verb (used with object), nob·bled, nob·bling. British Slang.

to drug or disable (a race horse) to prevent its winning a race.

to convince (a person) by fraudulent methods; misrepresent or lie to.

to swindle; defraud.

to seize (a person); hold for arrest.

Origin:
1840–50; back formation from nobbler, variant of hobbler (dial. phrase an 'obbler being taken as a nobbler)

Related forms

nob·bler, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source

Link To nobble

Relevant Questions

How Juries Are Nobbled?

00:10

Nobble is always a great word to know.

So is lollapalooza. Does it mean:

a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.

an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.

LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

Collins

World English Dictionary

nobble (ˈnɒb^əl)

—vb
1.	to disable (a racehorse), esp with drugs
2.	to win over or outwit (a person) by underhand means
3.	to suborn (a person, esp a juror) by threats, bribery, etc
4.	to steal; filch
5.	to get hold of; grab
6.	to kidnap

[C19: back formation from nobbler, from false division of an hobbler (one who hobbles horses) as a nobbler]

'nobbler

—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Example sentences

The government is now trying to nobble the central bank.

Upgrade to Ad-free Premium Membership!

Quote Of The Day

"The child does not begin to fall until she becomes seriously interested in walking, until ..."

-Polly Berrien Berends