fable
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fa•ble
Noun:
(French), from (Latin) fabula, from fari to speak, say. See Ban, and confer Fabulous, Fame.
1. A Feigned story or tale, intended to instruct or amuse; a fictitious narration intended to enforce some useful truth or precept; an apologue. See the Note under Apologue. Jotham's fable of the trees is the oldest extant. Addison .2. The plot, story, or connected series of events, forming the subject of an epic or dramatic poem. The moral is the first business of the poet; this being formed, he contrives such a design or fable as may be most suitable to the moral. Dryden.3. Any story told to excite wonder; common talk; the theme of talk. "Old wives' fables. " 1 Timothy iv. 7. We grew The fable of the city where we dwelt. Tennyson.4. Fiction; untruth; falsehood. It would look like a fable to report that this gentleman gives away a great fortune by secret methods. Addison.
Intransitive Verb:
imperfect & past participle Fabled; present participle & verbal noun Fabling.
To compose fables; hence, to write or speak fiction; to write or utter what is not true. "He Fables not." (Shakespeare) Vain now the tales which fabling poets tell. Prior. He fables, yet speaks truth. Middle Arnold.
Transitive Verb:
To fiegn; to invent; to devise, and speak of, as true or real; to tell of falsely. The hell thou fablest. Milton.
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From Middle English, from Old French fable, from Latin fabula, from fari (“to speak, say”). See Ban, and compare fabulous, fame.
(fiction to enforce a useful precept): morality play (story to excite wonder): legend (falsehood):
fable (plural fables) A fictitious narrative intended to enforce some useful truth or precept, usually with animals, birds etc as characters; an apologue. Prototypically, Aesop's Fables. Any story told to excite wonder; common talk; the theme of talk. 1 Timothy 4:7, Old wives' fables. Alfred Tennyson, We grew / The fable of the city where we dwelt. Fiction; untruth; falsehood. Joseph Addison, It would look like a fable to report that this gentleman gives away a great fortune by secret methods. The plot, story, or connected series of events forming the subject of an epic or dramatic poem. Dryden The moral is the first business of the poet; this being formed, he contrives such a design or fable as may be most suitable to the moral.
fable (third-person singular simple present fables, present participle fabling, simple past and past participle fabled) (intransitive, archaic) To compose fables; hence, to write or speak fiction ; to write or utter what is not true. Shakespeare, 1 Henry VI, IV-ii: He Fables not. Matthew Prior: Vain now the tales which fabling poets tell. Matthew Arnold: He fables, yet speaks truth. (transitive, archaic) To feign; to invent; to devise, and speak of, as true or real; to tell of falsely. John Milton: The hell thou fablest.
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