garble
/ˈɡɑː(ɹ)bəl/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: 1.65 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To pick out such parts (of a text) as may serve a purpose not intended by the original author; to mutilate; to pervert.
verb
To make false by mutilation or addition.
verb
To corrupt; to make unreadable, incomprehensible, or unintelligible.
Example Sentences
- "to garble a quotation"
- "to garble an account"
- "He's garbled the details, but the outline of the story is still pretty clear."
- "In a word, as the whole relation is carefully garbled of all the levity and looseness that was in it, so it all applied, and with the utmost care, to virtuous and religious uses. None can, without being guilty of manifest injustice, cast any reproach upon it, or upon our design in publishing it."
- "The editor garbled the story."
- "The announcement was completely garbled."
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”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: garbelen, garbeler, garbellare, غَرْبَلَ