a telegram sent abroad
"The general received a cable from London confirming that reinforcements were on their way."
a conductor for transmitting electrical or optical signals or electric power
"The technician had to replace the old cable that was delivering electricity to the entire building."
a very strong thick rope made of twisted hemp or steel wire
"The old crane lifted the heavy cargo securely with its rusted steel cable."
a nautical unit of depth
"The diver checked his watch, noting that he had descended to 40 cable beneath the surface."
television that is transmitted over cable directly to the receiver
"We switched from satellite to cable because the new system delivers much clearer channels directly to our living room TV."
a television system that transmits over cables
"We switched from satellite to cable because we finally got clear channels without any static."
A long object used to make a physical connection.
"The technician ran a new cable from the router to the wall outlet to restore our internet access."
A strong, large-diameter wire or rope, or something resembling such a rope.
"After the storm damaged the fence, we had to replace several old cables that were snapped by high winds."
In plain English: A cable is a strong rope made of many twisted wires used to carry electricity or connect devices together.
"The cable company installed a new connection in our house yesterday."
Usage: Use "cable" to refer to a thick wire or flexible rope designed to transmit power, data, or support heavy loads through a physical connection. It is commonly seen in contexts like television connections, internet wiring, or maritime rigging.
To provide with cable(s)
"The technician arrived to cable the new security cameras directly into the server room."
In plain English: To cable means to send a message using a telephone wire.
"We need to cable the news to our family back home."
Usage: To cable someone means to send them a message using a telephone or telegraph wire rather than writing a letter or calling on the phone. This usage is now largely historical and rare in modern conversation where digital communication dominates.
A surname, from Anglo-Norman.
"The genealogist confirmed that our family name Cable is indeed of Anglo-Norman origin."
The word cable entered English around 1205 from Old Northern French, originally referring to a lasso or rope derived from the Latin root for "to take." Its modern financial meaning, describing the exchange rate between the US dollar and British pound, emerged in the mid-19th century when this currency pair was transmitted via submarine communications cables.