wikipedia
English

Etymology
French, from Latin fabula, from fari to speak, say. See Ban, and compare fabulous, fame.

Pronunciation
audio|en-us-fable.ogg|Audio (US)

Rhymes: Rhymes:English:-eɪb�l|-eɪb�l

Noun
en-noun

1. A feigned story or tale, intended to instruct or amuse; a fictitious narration intended to enforce some useful truth or precept; an apologue.

#:Quotations
#:*Jotham's fable of the trees is the oldest extant. - w:Joseph Addison|Joseph Addison.

1. The plot, story, or connected series of events, forming the subject of an epic or dramatic poem.

#:Quotations
#:*The moral is the first business of the poet; this being formed, he contrives such a design or fable as may be most suitable to the moral. - w:John Dryden|John Dryden.

1. Any story told to excite wonder; common talk; the theme of talk.

#:Quotations
#:*Old wives' fables. - 1 Timothy 4:7
#:*We grew The fable of the city where we dwelt. - w:Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson|Alfred Tennyson.

1. Fiction; untruth; falsehood.

#:Quotations
#:*It would look like a fable to report that this gentleman gives away a great fortune by secret methods. - Joseph Addison.

Translations
rfc-trans
Chinese: �� (yùyán)
Croatian: bajka
Czech: pohádka
Danish: fabel
Esperanto: fabelo
French: conte m
German: Fabel f
Hungarian: mese
Icelandic: dæmisaga f
Italian: fiaba m
Japanese: �� (����, gūgen)
Kyerepon: anansesem
Polish: bajka
Romanian: poveste
Serbian: basna, skazna
Slovak: rozprávka
Spanish: cuento m
Swedish: saga, berättelse
Twi: anansesem

Verb
en-verb|fabl|ing

1. intransitive To compose fables; hence, to write or speak fiction ; to write or utter what is not true.

#:Quotations
#:*He Fables not. - Shakespeare, 1 Henry VI, IV-ii.
#:*Vain now the tales which fabling poets tell. - Matthew Prior
#:*He fables, yet speaks truth. - Matthew Arnold.

1. transitive To feign; to invent; to devise, and speak of, as true or real; to tell of falsely.

#:Quotations
#:*The hell thou fablest. - w:John Milton|John Milton.

Translations
trans-top|compose fables
Danish: fable
German: fabulieren
Hungarian: t|hu|mesél
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|tell of falsely
Danish: fabulere
Hungarian: t|hu|költ, t|hu|kohol
trans-mid
trans-bottom

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• 2007-12-30 16:31 - Panda10 - /* Verb */ added hu, trans tables

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