nobble — ► VERB Brit. informal 1) try to influence or thwart by underhand or unfair methods. 2) tamper with (a racehorse) to prevent it from winning a race. 3) accost or seize. 4) obtain dishonestly or steal. ORIGIN probably from dialect knobble, knubble… … English terms dictionary
nobble — [näb′əl] vt. nobbled, nobbling [? freq. of NAB] [Brit. Slang] Brit. Slang 1. to disable (a horse), as by drugging to keep it from winning a race 2. to win over by bribery or other underhanded methods 3. to cheat or swindle nobbler n … English World dictionary
nobble — I. n British 1. an act of dishonestly interfering with a process, such as by bribing a member of a jury or drugging a racehorse. From the verb. 2. a trick, a devious scheme or clever way of doing things ► I said, look, the nobble is to give me… … Contemporary slang
nobble — [[t]nɒ̱b(ə)l[/t]] nobbles, nobbling, nobbled 1) VERB If someone nobbles an important group of people such as a committee, they offer them money or threaten them in order to make them do something. [BRIT, INFORMAL] [V n] The trial was stopped… … English dictionary
nobble — UK [ˈnɒb(ə)l] / US [ˈnɑb(ə)l] verb [transitive] Word forms nobble : present tense I/you/we/they nobble he/she/it nobbles present participle nobbling past tense nobbled past participle nobbled British very informal 1) to try and get someone s… … English dictionary
nobble — 1. obsolete to steal Literally, to tamper with a horse illegally, whence to do other evil deeds connected with dishonesty: Ah thowt ah d tak a wauk an nobble a few specimens for me sen. (Treddlehoyle, 1892) 2. to kill Again… … How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms
nobble — verb (T) BrE informal 1 to get someone s attention, especially in order to persuade them to do something: I ll try to nobble Jim and ask him if he ll help us. 2 to make someone do what you want by offering them money or threatening them 3 to… … Longman dictionary of contemporary English
nobble — /ˈnɒbəl / (say nobuhl) verb (t) (nobbled, nobbling) Colloquial 1. to disable (a horse), as by drugging it: *nobbling every starter in a race but the odds on favourite. –david foster, 1981. 2. to win (a person, etc.) over by underhand means. 3. to …
nobble — transitive verb (nobbled; nobbling) Etymology: perhaps irregular frequentative of nab Date: 1847 1. British to incapacitate (a racehorse) especially by drugging 2. slang, British a. to win over to one s side b. steal … New Collegiate Dictionary
nobble — nobbler, n. /nob euhl/, v.t., nobbled, nobbling. Brit. Slang. 1. to drug or disable (a race horse) to prevent its winning a race. 2. to convince (a person) by fraudulent methods; misrepresent or lie to. 3. to swindle; defraud. 4. to seize (a… … Universalium