Garble

Quick meaning: Garble is a verb meaning To pick out such parts (of a text) as may serve a purpose not intended by the original author; to mutilate; to pervert.

Meaning

To pick out such parts (of a text) as may serve a purpose not intended by the original author; to mutilate; to pervert.

More Meanings

1. To make false by mutilation or addition. [from 17th c.]
2. To corrupt; to make unreadable, incomprehensible, or unintelligible.
3. Confused or unintelligible speech.
4. (obsolete) Refuse; rubbish.
5. (obsolete) Mutilation.
6. (obsolete) Impurities separated from spices, drugs, etc.; garblings.
7. (obsolete) To sift or bolt; to separate the fine or valuable parts of (something) from the coarse and useless parts, or from dross or dirt. [14th–19th c.]

Example Sentences

to garble spices

to garble an account

to garble a quotation

The editor garbled the story.

Word Forms

• garbles
• garbling
• garbled

Synonyms for garble

Depending on context, synonyms include distort, warp, falsify.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include distort, warp, falsify, mangle, mutilate, rearrange.

Related Dictionary Tools