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garble

Pronunciation: /ˈɡɑː(ɹ)bəl/

The English word “garble” has 8 meanings listed here.

verb

  1. To pick out such parts (of a text) as may serve a purpose not intended by the original author; to mutilate; to pervert.
  2. To make false by mutilation or addition.
  3. To corrupt; to make unreadable, incomprehensible, or unintelligible.
  4. To sift or bolt; to separate the fine or valuable parts of (something) from the coarse and useless parts, or from dross or dirt.

noun

  1. Confused or unintelligible speech.
  2. Refuse; rubbish.
  3. Mutilation.
  4. Impurities separated from spices, drugs, etc.; garblings.

Etymology

From Middle English garbelen, from Anglo-Norman garbeler (“to sift”), from Medieval Latin garbellare (or a similar Italian word), from Arabic غَرْبَلَ (ḡarbala, “to sift”).

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Definitions are from Wiktionary, extracted by Kaikki.org, and are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.