Adjacent Words

Noble definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

NO'BLE, a.
1. Great; elevated; dignified; being above every thing that can dishonor reputation; as a nobel mind; a noble courage; noble deeds of valor.
2. Exalted; elevated; sublime.
Statues, with winding ivy crown'd, belong to nobler poets for a nobler song.
3. Magnificent; stately; splendid; as a noble parade; a noble edifice.
4. Of an ancient and splendid family; as nobel by descent.
5. Distinguished from commoners by rank and title; as a noble personage.
6. Free; generous; liberal; as a noble heart.
7. Principal; capital; as the noble parts of the body.
8. Ingenuous; candid; of an excellent disposition; ready to receive truth. Acts 17.
9. Of the best kind; choice; excellent; as a noble vine. Jeremiah 2.
NO'BLE, n.
1. A person of rank above a commoner; a nobleman; a peer; as a duke, marquis, earl, viscount or baron.
2. In Scripture, a person of honorable family or distinguished by station. Exodus 24. Nehemiah 6.
3. Originally, a gold coin, but now a money of account, value 6s. 8d. sterling, or $1 48cts.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: impressive in appearance; "a baronial mansion"; "an imposing residence"; "a noble tree"; "severe-looking policemen sat astride noble horses"; "stately columns" [syn: baronial, imposing, noble, stately]
2: of or belonging to or constituting the hereditary aristocracy especially as derived from feudal times; "of noble birth" [ant: lowborn]
3: having or showing or indicative of high or elevated character; "a noble spirit"; "noble deeds" [ant: ignoble]
4: inert especially toward oxygen; "a noble gas such as helium or neon"; "noble metals include gold and silver and platinum" n
1: a titled peer of the realm [syn: Lord, noble, nobleman] [ant: Lady, noblewoman, peeress]

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective (nobler; noblest) Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin nobilis well-known, noble, from noscere to come to know — more at know Date: 13th century 1. a. possessing outstanding qualities ; illustrious b. famous, notable <noble deeds> 2. of high birth or exalted rank ; aristocratic 3. a. possessing very high or excellent qualities or properties <noble wine> b. very good or excellent 4. grand or impressive especially in appearance <noble edifice> 5. possessing, characterized by, or arising from superiority of mind or character or of ideals or morals ; lofty <a noble ambition> 6. chemically inert or inactive especially toward oxygen <a noble metal such as platinum> — compare base 6a Synonyms: see moral • nobleness noun • nobly adverb II. noun Date: 14th century 1. a person of noble rank or birth 2. an old English gold coin equivalent to 6s 8d

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. & n. --adj. (nobler, noblest) 1 belonging by rank, title, or birth to the aristocracy. 2 of excellent character; having lofty ideals; free from pettiness and meanness, magnanimous. 3 of imposing appearance, splendid, magnificent, stately. 4 excellent, admirable (noble horse; noble cellar). --n. 1 a nobleman or noblewoman. 2 hist. a former English gold coin first issued in 1351. Phrases and idioms: noble gas any gaseous element of a group that almost never combine with other elements. noble metal a metal (e.g. gold, silver, or platinum) that resists chemical action, does not corrode or tarnish in air or water, and is not easily attacked by acids. noble savage primitive man idealized as in Romantic literature. the noble science boxing. Derivatives: nobleness n. nobly adv. Etymology: ME f. OF f. L (g)nobilis, rel. to KNOW

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Lyrie Ly"rie (l[imac]"r[i^]), n. [Icel. hl[=y]ri a sort of fish.] (Zo["o]l.) A European fish (Peristethus cataphractum), having the body covered with bony plates, and having three spines projecting in front of the nose; -- called also noble, pluck, pogge, sea poacher, and armed bullhead.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Noble No"ble, n. 1. A person of rank above a commoner; a nobleman; a peer. 2. An English money of account, and, formerly, a gold coin, of the value of 6 s. 8 d. sterling, or about $1.61. 3. (Zo["o]l.) A European fish; the lyrie.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Noble No"ble, v. t. To make noble; to ennoble. [Obs.] Thou nobledest so far forth our nature. --Chaucer.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Noble No"ble, a. [Compar. Nobler; superl. Noblest.] [F. noble, fr. L. nobilis that can be or is known, well known, famous, highborn, noble, fr. noscere to know. See know.] 1. Possessing eminence, elevation, dignity, etc.; above whatever is low, mean, degrading, or dishonorable; magnanimous; as, a noble nature or action; a noble heart. Statues, with winding ivy crowned, belong To nobler poets for a nobler song. --Dryden. 2. Grand; stately; magnificent; splendid; as, a noble edifice. 3. Of exalted rank; of or pertaining to the nobility; distinguished from the masses by birth, station, or title; highborn; as, noble blood; a noble personage. Note: Noble is used in the formation of self-explaining compounds; as, noble-born, noble-hearted, noble-minded. Noble metals (Chem.), silver, gold, and platinum; -- so called from their freedom from oxidation and permanence in air. Copper, mercury, aluminium, palladium, rhodium, iridium, and osmium are sometimes included. Syn: Honorable; worthy; dignified; elevated; exalted; superior; sublime; great; eminent; illustrious; renowned; stately; splendid; magnificent; grand; magnanimous; generous; liberal; free.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(nobles, nobler, noblest) 1. If you say that someone is a noble person, you admire and respect them because they are unselfish and morally good. He was an upright and noble man who was always willing to help in any way he could... I wanted so much to believe he was pure and noble. ADJ [approval] • nobly Eric's sister had nobly volunteered to help with the gardening... ADV: ADV with v 2. If you say that something is a noble idea, goal, or action, you admire it because it is based on high moral principles. He had implicit faith in the noble intentions of the Emperor... We'll always justify our actions with noble sounding theories... ADJ [approval] 3. If you describe something as noble, you think that its appearance or quality is very impressive, making it superior to other things of its type. ...the great parks with their noble trees. = fine ADJ 4. Noble means belonging to a high social class and having a title. Although he was of noble birth he lived as a poor man. = aristocratic ADJ: usu ADJ n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. a. 1. Great, dignified, superior, elevated, worthy, exalted, illustrious, magnanimous, honorable, eminent. 2. Honorable, generous, magnanimous. 3. Choice, excellent. 4. Excellent, pure. 5. High-born, aristocratic, patrician. 6. Grand, stately, lordly, splendid, magnificent. II. n. Nobleman, peer.

Moby Thesaurus

Babylonian, Brahman, Christian, Corinthian, acclaimed, admirable, advantageous, archduke, aristocrat, aristocratic, armiger, august, auspicious, awe-inspiring, awful, barbaric, baron, baronet, baronial, beneficial, benevolent, big, bighearted, blameless, blue blood, blue-blooded, bon, bonny, braw, bueno, capital, celebrated, changeless, chivalrous, clean, cogent, commendable, conspicuous, constant, count, courtly, creditable, daimio, decent, deluxe, dignified, distinguished, ducal, duke, earl, elaborate, elegant, elevated, eminent, erect, esquire, esteemed, estimable, ethical, exalted, excellent, exceptional, expedient, exquisite, extraordinary, extravagant, fair, faithful, famous, fancy, favorable, fine, full of integrity, generous, genteel, gentle, gentleman, gentlemanlike, gentlemanly, gentlewoman, glorious, godlike, good, goodly, grand, grand duke, grandee, grandiose, grave, great, great of heart, greathearted, handsome, healthy, held in esteem, helpful, heroic, hidalgo, high, high-class, high-minded, high-principled, high-ranking, highly esteemed, highly regarded, highly reputed, highly respectable, honest, honorable, honored, idealistic, illustrious, immaculate, immutable, imposing, impressive, in favor, in good odor, in high favor, incommutable, inconvertible, incorruptible, indefeasible, inert, inspiring, insusceptible of change, intransmutable, invariable, inviolate, irreproachable, irretrievable, irreversible, irrevocable, just, kind, kinglike, kingly, knightly, lace-curtain, lady, ladylike, laird, landgrave, largehearted, lasting, laudable, lauded, law-abiding, law-loving, law-revering, liberal, lofty, lord, lordling, lordly, loyal, luxurious, magisterial, magnanimous, magnate, magnificent, magnifico, majestic, manly, margrave, marked, marquis, memorable, meritorious, moral, moralistic, moving, nice, noble-minded, nobleman, noblewoman, none, nonreturnable, nonreversible, notable, noted, noteworthy, of gentle blood, of mark, of rank, openhanded, optimate, outstanding, palatial, palsgrave, patrician, peer, permanent, pleasant, plush, posh, prestigious, princelike, princely, principled, profitable, prominent, proud, pure, queenlike, queenly, quite the lady, rare, regal, remarkable, rememberable, renowned, reputable, respectable, respected, revered, reverend, reverseless, rich, right, right-minded, righteous, ritzy, royal, salient, sedate, seigneur, seignior, self-sacrificing, serious, signal, silk-stocking, skillful, soaring, sober, solemn, sound, special, splendacious, splendid, splendiferous, spotless, squire, stainless, stately, statuesque, staunch, steadfast, sterling, striking, stunning, sublime, sumptuous, superb, superfancy, superfine, swank, swanky, swell, telling, thoroughbred, titled, towering, true, true-dealing, true-devoted, true-disposing, true-souled, true-spirited, truehearted, trustworthy, unalterable, unalterative, unaltered, unblemished, unchangeable, unchanged, unchanging, uncorrupt, uncorrupted, undefiled, undeflectable, undeviating, unforgettable, unimpeachable, unmodifiable, unremitting, unrestorable, unreturnable, unspotted, unstained, unsullied, unsusceptible, untarnished, unvariable, unvarying, upper-cruster, upright, uprighteous, upstanding, useful, valid, venerable, venerated, very good, virtuous, viscount, waldgrave, weighty, well-thought-of, worshipful, worthy, yeomanly