Rabble
noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Definitions
- 1 A bewildered or meaningless string of words. obsolete
- 2 An iron bar used in puddling.
- 3 a disorderly crowd of people wordnet
- 4 A pack of animals; or any confused collection of things. obsolete
- 5 disparaging terms for the common people wordnet
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A mob; a disorderly crowd.
- 7 The mass of common people; the lowest class of populace. derogatory
"Such practices as Theſe, too groſs to lye / Long unobſerv'd by each diſcerning Eye, / The more judicious Iſraelites Unſpell'd, / Though ſtill the Charm the giddy Rabble held, [...]"
- 1 To speak in a confused manner; talk incoherently; utter nonsense intransitive
- 2 To stir with a rabble. transitive
- 3 To speak confusedly or incoherently; gabble or chatter out transitive
Example
More examples"As when in mighty multitudes bursts out / sedition, and the wrathful rabble rave; / rage finds them arms; stones, firebrands fly about."
Etymology
First attested since 1300s, from Middle English rablen (“to ramble; rave; speak in a confused manner”), cognate with Middle Dutch rabbelen (“to talk; chatter; trifle”), Low German rabbeln, robbeln (“to chatter; prattle”).
From Middle English rabel, probably from the verb (see above).
From Old French roable (modern French râble), from Latin rutabulum (“a poker”).
Related phrases
More for "rabble"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.