cobble

¹

[kob-uhl]

verb (used with object)

cobbled, cobbling 

1. to mend (shoes, boots, etc.); patch.

2. to put together roughly or clumsily.

cobble

²

[kob-uhl]

noun

1. a cobblestone.

2. cobbles, coal in lumps larger than a pebble and smaller than a boulder.

3. Metalworking.

   1. a defect in a rolled piece resulting from loss of control over its movement.

   2. Slang.,  a piece showing bad workmanship.

verb (used with object)

cobbled, cobbling 

1. to pave with cobblestones.

cobble

³

[kob-uhl]

noun

1. New England, New York State, and New Jersey.,  (especially in placenames) a rounded hill.

cobble

¹

/ ˈkɒbəl /

noun

1. short for cobblestone

2. geology a rock fragment, often rounded, with a diameter of 64–256 mm and thus smaller than a boulder but larger than a pebble

verb

1. (tr) to pave (a road) with cobblestones

cobble

²

/ ˈkɒbəl /

verb

1. to make or mend (shoes)

2. to put together clumsily

cobble

1. A rock fragment larger than a pebble and smaller than a boulder. Pebbles have a diameter between 64 and 256 mm (2.56 and 10.24 inches) and are often rounded.

Other Word Forms

• cobbled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cobble¹

First recorded in 1490–1500; apparently back formation from cobbler

Origin of cobble²

First recorded in 1595–1605; of uncertain origin; perhaps cob + -le; cobblestone

Origin of cobble³

First recorded in 1885–95; perhaps from cobble ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of cobble¹

C15 (in cobblestone ): from _cob ¹

Origin of cobble²

C15: back formation from _cobbler ¹

Example Sentences

A funicular is a type of railway system that allows travel up and down steep slopes, and in Lisbon they are a crucial means of navigating the city's steep, cobbled streets.

From BBC

The bright yellow vehicles are a crucial means of navigating the city's steep, cobbled streets.

From BBC

They snake their way up many of the cobbled streets.

From BBC

If funding can be cobbled together, construction is expected to begin as early as 2030, with the tunnel potentially opening by 2038.

From Los Angeles Times

“It’s like they took a parts of letters to the Ivy Leagues, cobbled them together and added the words ‘UCLA.’

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• assemble 
• complete 
• construct 
• create 
• fabricate 
• mass-produce 
• synthesize