Ca"ble (kā"b'l), n. [F.
câble, LL. capulum, caplum, a rope,
fr. L. capere to take; cf. D., Dan., & G. kabel,
from the French. See Capable.] 1. 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.
2. 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.
3. (Arch) 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.
Bower cable, the cable belonging to the
bower anchor. -- Cable road, a railway
on which the cars are moved by a continuously running endless
rope operated by a stationary motor. -- Cable's
length, the length of a ship's cable. Cables in the
merchant service vary in length from 100 to 140 fathoms or more;
but as a maritime measure, a cable's length is either 120 fathoms
(720 feet), or about 100 fathoms (600 feet, an approximation to
one tenth of a nautical mile). -- Cable
tier. (a) That part of a vessel
where the cables are stowed. (b) A coil
of a cable. -- Sheet cable, the cable
belonging to the sheet anchor. -- Stream
cable, a hawser or rope, smaller than the bower
cables, to moor a ship in a place sheltered from wind and heavy
seas. -- Submarine cable. See
Telegraph. -- To pay out the cable,
To veer out the cable, to slacken it, that
it may run out of the ship; to let more cable run out of the
hawse hole. -- To serve the cable, to
bind it round with ropes, canvas, etc., to prevent its being,
worn or galled in the hawse, et. -- To slip the
cable, to let go the end on board and let it all
run out and go overboard, as when there is not time to weigh
anchor. Hence, in sailor's use, to die.
Ca"ble (kā"b'l), v. t.
1. To fasten with a cable.
2. (Arch.) To ornament with
cabling. See Cabling.
Ca"ble, v. t. & i. [imp. &
p. p. Cabled (-b'ld); p. pr. & vb.
n. Cabling (-blŏng).] To telegraph
by a submarine cable [Recent]