Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
noun
Confused or unintelligible speech.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Refuse; rubbish.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Mutilation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Impurities separated from spices, drugs, etc.; garblings.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To pick out such parts (of a text) as may serve a purpose not intended by the original author; to mutilate; to pervert.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To make false by mutilation or addition.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To corrupt; to make unreadable, incomprehensible, or unintelligible.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Synonyms: scramble
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To sift or bolt; to separate the fine or valuable parts of (something) from the coarse and useless parts, or from dross or dirt.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
make false by mutilation or addition; as of a message or story
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: falsify, distort, warp
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: misrepresent, belie
Narrower terms: mangle, mutilate, murder
History
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”).
Across languages
27 source translations are retained for this English entry.
