nobble

Word family

Related topics: Horses

nob·ble /ˈnɒbəl $ ˈnɑː-/ verb [transitiveT] British EnglishBrE informal

1 MONEYFORCE somebody TO DO somethingto make someone do what you want by illegally offering them money or threatening them 收买；要挟 → bribe

The jury had been nobbled and the case had to be reheard.

陪审团被收买，案件必须重审。

2. DSHto prevent a horse from winning a race, especially by giving it drugs 〔尤指给赛马服药〕使不能取胜

3 ATTENTIONto get someone’s attention, especially in order to persuade them to do something 〔尤指为说服某人做某事而〕引起〔某人〕的注意

I was nobbled by my deaf old aunt and couldn’t get away.

我被失聪的老阿姨拖住了无法脱身。

Examples from the Corpus

nobble• Whatever, these are the people the publishers really want to nobble, and they don't come to conference.• Jack Butler really didn't like the idea that he had been nobbled and worse than that, nobbled by a girl.• The problem with this, of course, is that, as in most sports, some competitors are nobbled from the start.• Good fun, anyway - but oh dear, people do nobble one, don't they?• I can't say that I blame George Washington, or, my father who nobbled our London one by pruning it.• The hon. Member for Dagenham must have been speaking out of turn at that time; he has certainly been nobbled since.

Origin nobble

(1800-1900) Perhaps from knobble “to hit with the closed hand” ((1800-1900))

nob·ble verb

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