• IPA^(key): /ˈɹæbəl/

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• Rhymes: -æbəl

First attested since 1300s, from Middle English rablen (“to ramble; rave; speak in a confused manner”), cognate with Middle Dutch rabbelen (“to talk; chatter; trifle”), Low German rabbeln, robbeln (“to chatter; prattle”).

• ravel

rabble (third-person singular simple present rabbles, present participle rabbling, simple past and past participle rabbled)

1. (intransitive) To speak in a confused manner; talk incoherently; utter nonsense
2. (transitive) To speak confusedly or incoherently; gabble or chatter out

From Middle English rabel, probably from the verb (see above).

rabble (plural rabbles)

1. (obsolete) A bewildered or meaningless string of words.
2. (obsolete) A pack of animals; or any confused collection of things.
3. A mob; a disorderly crowd. [from late 14^th c.]
4. (derogatory) The mass of common people; the lowest class of populace. [from 1550s]

   Synonyms: plebs, riffraff; see also Thesaurus:commonalty

   • 1682, [Nahum Tate; John Dryden], The Second Part of Absalom and Achitophel. A Poem.[…], 2nd edition, London: […] Jacob Tonson,[…], →OCLC, page 5:

     Such practices as Theſe, too groſs to lye / Long unobſerv'd by each diſcerning Eye, / The more judicious Iſraelites Unſpell'd, / Though ſtill the Charm the giddy Rabble held, [...]

From Old French roable (modern French râble), from Latin rutabulum (“a poker”).

rabble (plural rabbles)

1. An iron bar used in puddling.

rabble (third-person singular simple present rabbles, present participle rabbling, simple past and past participle rabbled)

1. (transitive) To stir with a rabble.

• rabbler

• “rabble”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “rabble”, in The Century Dictionary[…], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
• “rabble”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

• Babler, barbel, barble