Added 10 October 2026
sable
/ˈseɪbəl/ noun
Latin root: sabelum Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about sable at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A small carnivorous mammal of the Old World that resembles a weasel, Martes zibellina, from cold regions in Eurasia and the North Pacific islands, valued for its dark brown fur.
- Any other marten, especially Martes americana (syn. Mustela americana).
- A pelt of fur of a sable or of one of another species of martens; a coat made from this fur.
adjective
Origin
Attested since 1275, from Middle English sable, from Old French sable and martre sable (“sable marten”), in reference to the animal or its fur; from Medieval Latin sabelum, from Middle Low German sabel (compare Middle Dutch sabel, Middle High German zobel, whence German Zobel); ultimately from a Slavic word (compare Russian со́боль (sóbolʹ), Polish soból, Czech sobol). Compare also Middle Persian smwl (*samōr).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)