English Explanatory Dictionary

noble

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. An aristocrat; one of aristocratic blood.
  2. A medieval gold coin of England in the 14th and 15th centuries, usually valued at 6s 8d.
adj
  1. Having honorable qualities; having moral eminence and freedom from anything petty, mean or dubious in conduct and character.
  2. Grand; stately; magnificent; splendid.
  3. Of exalted rank; of or relating to the nobility; distinguished from the masses by birth, station, or title; highborn.
  4. Of an element, unreactive.
  5. Belonging to a class of grape cultivars traditionally considered most favorable for winemaking, usually encompassing the six: Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon blanc, Chardonnay, and Riesling.
  6. Both isohedral and isogonal.
name
  1. A surname.
  2. A male given name.
  3. A number of places in the United States:
  4. A village in Richland County, Illinois.
  5. A township and unincorporated community therein, in Jay County, Indiana.
  6. An unincorporated community in Washington County, Iowa.
  7. A village in Sabine Parish, Louisiana.
  8. An unincorporated community in Ozark County, Missouri.
  9. A city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma.
  10. A number of other townships in the United States, listed under Noble Township.
name
  1. Initialism of National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives.

Pronunciation

/ˈnəʊbəl/ /ˈnoʊbəl/ en-us-noble.ogg /ˈnobɨl/

Word forms

noble nobles nobler more noble noblest most noble

Etymology

From Middle English noble, from Old French noble, borrowed from Latin nōbilis (“knowable, known, well-known, famous, celebrated, high-born, of noble birth, excellent”), from nōscere, gnōscere (“to know”). False cognate of Arabic نبيل (nabīl). Displaced native Middle English athel, from Old English æþele.

Synonyms

great honorable superior

Antonyms

commoner plebeian despicable ignoble mean vile inferior

Related words

danseur noble honorable

Derived words

half-noble noble gas nobleman angel-noble antinoble ennoble nobility noble art noble birth noble-born noblebright noble chafer noble eightfold path noble experiment noble fir noble hops noble lie noble metal noble-minded nobleness noble rot noble savage noblewoman nobly nonnoble rose noble unnoble unnobled Le Noble Noble County Nobleford Noble Park Noblesville
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