nobble
/ˈnɒbl̩/verb, noun
nobble is spelled N-O-B-B-L-E: 6 letters. It appears about once in every 51 million words in written English, the 222,788th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, nobble means “To injure or obstruct intentionally” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in nobble?
| Letters | 6: N-O-B-B-L-E |
|---|---|
| In writing | about once in every 51 million words; the 222,788th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is nobble?
Nobble appears about once in every 51 million words in written English, the 222,788th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce nobble?
- UK /ˈnɒbl̩/
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-nobble.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of nobble
- nobbles present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- nobbling participle, present
- nobbled participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does nobble mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
CommonwealthIrelandUKslangTo injure or obstruct intentionally.
Near-synonyms: hobble, hamper, hinder, impede, embarrass, disable
- 2
IrelandUKslangTo gain influence over by corrupt means or intimidation.
- 3
IrelandUKslangTo steal.
- 4
slangTo tamper with (typically a racehorse or greyhound) in order to prevent it from winning a race.
noun
- 1
UKslangA deliberate act of injury or obstruction.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Where does nobble come from?
Origin obscure. Possibly from nob + -le, or perhaps an alteration of nubble. Compare also dialectal knobble (“to hit or strike”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).