sable means sable-coloured, black. It carries an Arena rating of 1476, earned across 29 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, sable ranks #134 of 13,330 for Most Vivid Words, #334 of 13,330 for Most Elegant Words, #1,128 of 13,330 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #1,270 of 13,330 for Words That Escaped Their Books.
sable is pronounced /ˈseɪbəl/.
Why “sable” is a great word
A rich, deep black, or the dark brown fur of the small, prized Eurasian marten from which it is taken. Its etymology traces from Middle English, from Old French 'sable' (short for 'martre sable', 'sable marten'), from Medieval Latin 'sabelum', from Middle Low German 'sabel', ultimately from a Slavic source (e.g., Russian 'со́боль' (sóbolʹ)). Attested in English since 1275. Unlike "ebony," which is fixed in the dense grain of a tropical wood, or "ermine," which heralds a regal, wintery white, sable carries the chill and shadow of the northern forest within its very name. It is the profound void of a heraldic shield, the velvet nap of a magistrate's robe, and the silent, sleek animal moving through a thicket of pine—a soft, expensive darkness that speaks of concealment, wealth, and the quiet end of all color.
Etymology
Attested since 1275, from Middle English sable, from Old French sable and martre sable (“sable marten”), in reference to the animal or its fur; from Medieval Latin sabelum, from Middle Low German sabel (compare Middle Dutch sabel, Middle High German zobel, whence German Zobel); ultimately from a Slavic word (compare Russian со́боль (sóbolʹ), Polish soból, Czech sobol). Compare also Middle Persian smwl (*samōr).
adj
- Sable-coloured, black.“When I behold the violet past prime,
And sable curls all silver'd o'er with white”
- In blazon, of the colour black.
- Made of sable fur.
- Dark, somber.“She turned and waved a hand to him, she cried a word, but he didn't hear it, it was a lost word. A sable wraith she was in the parkland, fading away into the dolorous crypt of winter.”
- Dark-skinned; Black.“Some of the sable females, who formerly stood aloof, now began to relax and appear less coy; but my heart was still fixed on London, where I hoped to be ere long.”
noun
- A small carnivorous mammal of the Old World that resembles a weasel, Martes zibellina, from cold regions in Eurasia and the North Pacific islands, valued for its dark brown fur.
- Any other marten, especially Martes americana (syn. Mustela americana).
- A pelt of fur of a sable or of one of another species of martens; a coat made from this fur.“"Ye must avenge my sister's son's death;
I will sables and martins bestow."”
- An artist's brush made from the fur of the sable, the kolinsky sable-hair brush.
- A black colour on a coat of arms.
- A dark brown colour, resembling the fur of some sables.
- Black garments, especially worn in mourning.“I ſee its Sables wove by Deſtiny.”
- The sablefish.
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- ermine 85% match — A weasel found in northern latitudes (Mustela erminea in Eurasia, Alaska, and the Arctic, Mustela haidarum in Haida Gwaii, Mustela richardsonii in the rest of North America); its dark brown fur turns white in winter, apart from the black tip of the tail. vs sable →
- miniver 78% match — A light gray or white fur used to trim the robes of judges or state executives, also used in medieval times. vs sable →
- vulpine 77% match — Pertaining to a fox. vs sable →
- dapple 77% match — A mottled marking, usually in clusters. vs sable →
- rufous 77% match — of a reddish colour vs sable →
- brindle 77% match — A streaky colouration in animals. vs sable →
- bruin 76% match — A folk name for a bear, especially the brown bear, Ursus arctos. vs sable →
- fauvette 76% match — Any of a number of small songbird, such as nightingales or warblers. vs sable →