cable

cable — noun

IPA/ˈkeɪbl/
KK[kˈebəl]IPA/ˈkeɪbl/
  • cablesingular
  • cablesplural

1. a bundle of protected wires that carries power or electronic signals from one pl

1.nounB1
Definition

a bundle of protected wires that carries power or electronic signals from one place to another.

Example

The electrician replaced the damaged cable behind the kitchen oven.

cable behind + appliance

A loose cable under Gita's desk kept cutting off the printer.

Common collocations
  • power cable
  • fiber-optic cable
  • damaged cable
Synonyms
  • wire

    broader; can mean one thin metal strand as well as an electrical line

  • cord

    usually softer and shorter, especially for household devices

Grammar Patterns

power cable

cable behind/under + [thing]

Usage Note

Usually refers to something thicker and more protected than an ordinary cord. It can carry electricity, internet data, phone signals, or video signals.

2. television service sent through underground cables instead of being picked up th

2.nounB1
Definition

television service sent through underground cables instead of being picked up through the air.

Example

My grandparents still pay for cable even though they stream most shows.

pay for cable

The hotel lost cable during the storm, but the Wi-Fi stayed on.

Common collocations
  • pay for cable
  • on cable
  • basic cable
Synonyms
  • cable TV

    more explicit; names the television service directly

  • pay TV

    broader; can include satellite and streaming packages too

Grammar Patterns

watch cable

pay for cable

on cable

Usage Note

In everyday use, this is often short for cable television. In some contexts, especially in North America, the same system may also include bundled internet or phone service.

Common Mistakes

We bought a cable to watch the final.
We bought cable to watch the final.
here cable means the service, not one physical wire.

3. a very strong rope or metal line used to pull, hold, or support something heavy.

3.nounB2
Definition

a very strong rope or metal line used to pull, hold, or support something heavy.

Example

Workers tightened the main cable before the bridge opened at dawn.

bridge cable

A rusted cable snapped and dropped the gate onto the gravel.

Common collocations
  • steel cable
  • main cable
  • cable snapped
Synonyms
  • rope

    more general and often made from fiber rather than metal

  • line

    broader; used especially in sailing and technical work

Grammar Patterns

steel cable

ship's cable

bridge cable

Usage Note

This sense is about something heavy-duty that holds or moves weight. Distinguish it from sense 1, which is about wires for power or signals.

4. an old-style telegraph message, often sent quickly over a long distance or to an

4.nounC1
Definition

an old-style telegraph message, often sent quickly over a long distance or to another country.

Example

Before the ceremony, the family received a cable from Andrei in Nairobi.

receive a cable from + place

The newspaper printed the cable beside its report on the election.

Common collocations
  • send a cable
  • receive a cable
  • urgent cable
Synonyms
  • telegram

    the most direct modern gloss for this historical item

  • cablegram

    more formal and old-fashioned

Grammar Patterns

send a cable

receive a cable from + [place/person]

Usage Note

Mostly seen in history books, older news reports, or fiction set before email became normal.

Common Mistakes

She sent a cable by email this morning.
She sent an email this morning.
a cable is a historical telegram, not a modern electronic message.

cable — verb

IPA/ˈkeɪ.bəl/
KK[kˈebəl]IPA/ˈkeɪ.bəl/

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These words all describe long flexible lines, but they are not used in the same situations. A cable is usually thicker or more protected, and it often carries electricity, internet, or video signals. A wire can be a single thin metal strand or a simpler electrical line. A cord is softer and more domestic, especially for lamps, chargers, or kitchen devices. A rope is for pulling, tying, or climbing, not for carrying electronic signals. Compare: a phone cable under a desk, a wire fence, a lamp cord, and a climbing rope.

cable ↗wire ↗cord ↗rope ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • power cable
  • fiber-optic cable
  • bridge cable
  • cable TV

Phrases

  • run a cable under the floor
  • watch it on cable
  • send a cable home

Prepositions

  • by cable
  • on cable

Etymology

Late LatinOld FrenchMiddle English

Cable entered English in the Middle Ages from Anglo-French and Old French forms related to a Late Latin word for a rope or halter. At first it named the heavy rope that held or moved ships. When engineers later used thick metal lines and insulated wires for telegraphy, power, and broadcasting, the same word widened to cover those newer uses. The verb grew from the noun, so people could cable a town for service or cable a message overseas.

First known use

13th century

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Verb