Definition of cable in English

WordNet

Noun Plural: cables
cable - a conductor for transmitting electrical or optical signals or electric power
		line, transmission line
		conductor a device designed to transmit electricity, heat, etc.
		phone system, telephone system a communication system that transmits sound between distant points
		cable system, cable television service, cable television, cable television that is transmitted over cable directly to the receiver
		coax, coax cable, coaxial cable a transmission line for high-frequency signals
		electrical cable a cable that provides an electrical connection for telephone or television or power stations
		fiber optic cable, fibre optic cable a cable made of optical fibers that can transmit large amounts of information at the speed of light
		power cable, power line cable used to distribute electricity
cable - a very strong thick rope made of twisted hemp or steel wire
		rope a strong line
		suspension bridge a bridge that has a roadway supported by cables that are anchored at both ends
cable - a television system that transmits over cables
		cable television, cable system, cable television service
		television system, television a telecommunication system that transmits images of objects (stationary or moving) between distant points
cable - a telegram sent abroad
		cablegram, overseas telegram
		telegram, wire a message transmitted by telegraph
cable - a nautical unit of depth
		cable length, cable's length
cable - television that is transmitted over cable directly to the receiver
		cable television
Verb cables, cabling, cabled
cable - send cables, wires, or telegrams
		telegraph, wire
		telecommunicate communicate over long distances, as via the telephone or e-mail
		telegraphy communicating at a distance by electric transmission over wire
cable - fasten with a cable; "cable trees"
		fasten, secure, fix attach to; "They fastened various nicknames to each other"

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Wiktionary

cable (Noun)
A strong, large-diameter wire or rope, or something resembling such a rope.
cable (Noun)
An assembly of two or more cable-laid ropes.
cable (Noun)
An assembly of two or more wires, used for electrical power or data circuits; one or more and/or the whole may be insulated.
cable (Noun)
A heavy rope or chain of at least 10 inches thick, as used to moor or anchor a ship.
cable (Noun)
Communications A system for receiving television or Internet service over coaxial or fibreoptic cables.
cable (Noun)
Short for cable television , broadcast over the above network, not by antenna.
cable (Noun)
A telegram, notably when send by submarine telegraph cable.
cable (Noun)
A unit of length equal to one tenth of a nautical mile .
cable (Noun)
The currency pair British Pound against United States Dollar.
cable (Verb)
To provide with cable.
cable (Verb)
To fasten as if with cable.
cable (Verb)
To wrap wires to form a cable.
cable (Verb)
To send a telegram by cable.
cable (Verb)
To communicate by cable.
cable (Verb)
To ornament with cabling.

Webster DictionaryWebster's Unabridged Dictionary 📘

cable (n.)
A large, strong rope or chain, of considerable length, used to retain a vessel at anchor, and for other purposes. It is made of hemp, of steel wire, or of iron links.
cable (n.)
A rope of steel wire, or copper wire, usually covered with some protecting or insulating substance; as, the cable of a suspension bridge; a telegraphic cable.
cable (n.)
A molding, shaft of a column, or any other member of convex, rounded section, made to resemble the spiral twist of a rope; -- called also cable molding.
cable (v. t.)
To fasten with a cable.
cable (v. t.)
To ornament with cabling. See Cabling.
cable (v. t. & i.)
To telegraph by a submarine cable

OmegaWiki DictionaryOmegaWiki Dictionary Ω

cable
Strands of insulated electrical conductors laid together, usually around a central core, and wrapped in a heavy insulation.
cable
To send a message by telegraph.

Chambers DictionaryChamber's 20th Century Dictionary 📕

cable
kā′bl, n. a strong rope or chain which ties anything, esp. a ship to her anchor: a nautical measure of 100 fathoms; a cable for submarine telegraphs composed of wires embedded in gutta-percha and encased in coiled strands of iron wire; a bundle of insulated wires laid underground in a street: a cable-message.—v.t. to provide with a cable, to tie up: to transmit a message, or to communicate with any one by submarine telegram.—ns. Cā′blegram, a message sent by submarine telegraph cable; Cā′ble-mould′ing, a bead or moulding carved in imitation of a thick rope; Cā′bling, a bead or moulding like a thick rope, often worked in flutes: the filling of flutes with a moulding like a cable.—Slip the cable, to let it run out. [Fr.—Low L. caplum, a halter—cap-ĕre, to hold.]

Marine DictionaryUniversal Dictionary of the Marine ⚓️

cable
(cable, Fr.) a large, strong rope of a considerable length, used to retain a ship at anchor in a road, bay, or haven.
Cables are of various sorts and sizes. In Europe they are usually manufactured of hemp; in Africa they are more frequently composed of bass, which is a sort of long straw or rushes; and in Asia of a peculiar sort of Indian grass.
Cables, of what thickness soever, are generally formed of three ropes twisted together, which are then called strands: each of these is composed of three smaller strands; and those last of a certain number of rope-yarns. This number is therefore greater or smaller in proportion to the size of the cable required.
There are some cables, however, manufactured of four strands; which are chiefly the production of Italy and Provence.
All ships ought to be furnished with at least three good cables; the sheet cable, and the two bowers; best and small.
All cables ought to be one hundred and twenty fathoms in length; for which purpose the threads or yarns must be one hundred and eighty fathoms; inasmuch as they are diminished one third in length by twisting. Besides this length, it is necessary to splice at least two cables together, in order to double the length when a ship is obliged to anchor in deep water. For although it is not common to anchor in a greater depth than forty fathoms, yet if there is only one cable, and the ship rides in a storm and tempestuous sea, the anchor will of necessity sustain the whole weight and violent jerking of the ship, in a direction too nearly perpendicular. By this effort it will unavoidably be loosened from its hold, and dragged by the ship, which thus driven from her station, is in immediate danger of being wrecked on the nearest rocks or shallows; whereas it is evident, that if the cable, by its great length, were to draw more horizontally on the anchor, it would bear a much greater force. See ANCHOR.
The long cable is not so apt to break as the short one; because it will bear a great deal more stretching before it comes to the greatest strain: it therefore resembles a sort of spring, which may be very easily extended, and afterwards recovers its first state, as soon as the force which extended it is removed. Besides all this, a ship will ride much smoother with a long cable, and be less apt to pitch, or plunge deep in the water with her fore-part.
On the contrary, the short cable, being too nearly vertical to the anchor, cannot bear such a strain, because it is charged with a greater effort; and, as it will not bear stretching, may break at the first violent tug. The ship also rides with much greater difficulty, labours extremely, and often plunges all her fore-part under water.
By what has been said on this subject, we may see how very necessary it is to furnish a ship with sufficiency of cables, or what is called ground-tackle; and what an inconsiderate policy it is in merchants to expose their vessels to such evident dangers from the want of them. For we may venture to assert, without violation of truth, that many good ships have been lost only on account of a deficiency in this important article.
A cable ought neither to be twisted too much or too little; as in the former state it will be extremely stiff, and difficult to manage; and in the latter, it will be considerably diminished in its strength.
All cables are to each other as the cubes of their diameters.
The number of threads also, of which each cable is composed, being always proportioned to its length and thickness, the weight and value of it are determined by this number. Thus a cable of ten inches in circumference, ought to consist of four hundred and eighty-five threads; and weigh one thousand nine hundred and forty pounds: and on this foundation is calculated the following table, very useful for all persons engaged in marine commerce, who equip merchant-ships on their own account, or freight them for the account of others.

Electrical DictionaryThe Standard Electrical Dictionary 💡

cable
(a) Abbreviation for Cablegram, q. v.
(b) v. It is also used as a verb, meaning to transmit a message by submarine cable.
(c). An insulated electric conductor, of large diameter. It often is protected by armor or metallic sheathing and may be designed for use as an aerial, submarine, subterranean or conduit cable. A cable often contains a large number of separately insulated conductors, so as to supply a large number of circuits.

Sailor's Word-BookThe Sailor's Word-Book ⛵

cable
A thick, strong rope or chain which serves to keep a ship at anchor; the rope is cable-laid, 10 inches in circumference and upwards (those below this size being hawsers), commonly of hemp or coir, which latter is still used by the Calcutta pilot-brigs on account of its lightness and elasticity. But cables have recently, and all but exclusively, been superseded by iron chain.--A shot of cable, two cables spliced together.
cable
To lay it in fakes and tiers one over the other.--To lay a cable. (See LAYING.)--To pay cheap the cable, to hand it out apace; to throw it over.--To pay out more cable, to let more out of the ship.--To serve or plait the cable, to bind it about with ropes, canvas, &c.; to keep it from galling in the hawse-pipe. (See ROUNDING, KECKLING, &c.)--To splice a cable, to make two pieces fast together, by working the several yarns of the rope into each other; with chain it is done by means of shackles.--To veer more cable, to let more out.

Wikipedia

A cable is made of many wires or optical fibers twisted together to make a larger wire. Each of these wires may be covered. Some cables contain both electrical wires and optical fibers. Electrical cables are usually made of copper, because electricity moves very well through copper. They are sometimes made of aluminium because it is cheaper.