Cable

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈkeɪ.bəl/

Definitions

1. A strong, flexible strand composed of metal wires or fibers used for various purposes, including support, communication, and power transmission
2. A durable assembly of thick strands or wires designed to transmit energy or signals, often found in electrical or telecommunications applications
3. A bundle of metal wires twisted or bound together to create a sturdy rope ; a set of insulated wires used for transmitting electrical power or data signals ; a service providing TV channels or internet connectivity via such wiring

Etymology: The most surprising fact is that a "cable" was originally a lasso. Its ancestor, Late Latin "capulum", meant a rope or halter used to catch and hold animals, and the word is rooted in Latin "capere", "to take or seize". The idea was simply a rope that grips something, and the term passed into Old Northern French as "cable" before reaching English by about 1205, when it still described a heavy rope, most often one used for anchoring ships. The modern sense of a bundle of wires is a later extension of that thickness and strength. Engineers borrowed the old word for something stout and load-bearing, and the same name then came to cover the insulated lines that carry electricity and signals. Another surprising turn came in the mid-19th century, when "cable" became a term in finance. The exchange rate between the US dollar and the British pound was sent across the Atlantic by a submarine telegraph cable, so the rate itself came to be called "the cable," a rope-turned-wire word now applied to money.

Synonyms: wire, cord, line, string, rope