nobblenob‧ble /ˈnɒbəl $ ˈnɑː-/ verb [transitive] British English informal 
Word Origin Examples
The jury had been nobbled and the case had to be reheard.2to prevent a horse from winning a race, especially by giving it drugs3to get someone’s attention, especially in order to persuade them to do something: I was nobbled by my deaf old aunt and couldn’t get away.
Word OriginWORD ORIGINnobble
Verb TableOrigin:
1800-1900 Perhaps from knobble ‘to hit with the closed hand’ (1800-1900)VERB TABLE
nobble
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | nobble |
| he, she, it | nobbles | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | nobbled |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have nobbled |
| he, she, it | has nobbled | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had nobbled |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will nobble |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have nobbled |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am nobbling |
| he, she, it | is nobbling | |
| you, we, they | are nobbling | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was nobbling |
| you, we, they | were nobbling | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been nobbling |
| he, she, it | has been nobbling | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been nobbling |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be nobbling |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been nobbling |
EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
Thesaurus- Good fun, anyway - but oh dear, people do nobble one, don't they?
- I can't say that I blame George Washington, or, my father who nobbled our London one by pruning it.
- Jack Butler really didn't like the idea that he had been nobbled and worse than that, nobbled by a girl.
- The hon. Member for Dagenham must have been speaking out of turn at that time; he has certainly been nobbled since.
- The problem with this, of course, is that, as in most sports, some competitors are nobbled from the start.
- Whatever, these are the people the publishers really want to nobble, and they don't come to conference.
Longman Language Activatorto threaten someone► threaten
1to make someone do what you want by illegally offering them money or threatening them → bribe: to tell someone that you will hurt them or cause serious problems for them if they do not do what you want: · Then he started threatening me and saying that my family might get hurt.threaten to do something: · When they found out he was an American, the soldiers threatened to kill him.· Every time we have a quarrel, she threatens to leave me.threaten somebody with a knife/gun etc: · After threatening the manager with a knife, he stole £300 and ran off.threaten somebody with violence/jail/legal action etc (=say you will hurt someone, put them in prison etc): · I was threatened with jail if I published the story.
► intimidate to try to make someone do what you want by making them feel afraid: · He's being kept in jail until the trial so that he can't intimidate any of the witnesses.· The boss is quite tough, but don't let him intimidate you.intimidate somebody into doing something: · Some workers are saying that they were intimidated into accepting the pay cuts, with threats of job losses.
► warn somebody off to try to make someone stay away from somewhere or stop doing something by warning or threatening them: · Journalists trying to investigate the scandal were warned off by the FBI.warn somebody off something: · The old man warned them off his land.warn somebody off doing something: · Joanna's brothers had warned him off seeing her again.
► hold somebody to ransom British to force a group, organization, or government to give you what you want by threatening to cause political or financial difficulties if they do not: · What gives cheaper fuel campaigners the right to hold the country to ransom?· The president said that the company would not be held to ransom by strikes.
► make/issue threats to repeatedly threaten to harm someone: · He wanted more money and over the next few weeks made further threats.make/issue threats about: · It's a waste of time issuing vague threats about imposing sanctions -- we should send in the army.make/issue threats against: · Threats have been made against the judge who is investigating the case.
► get at/get to/nobble informal to threaten witnesses, judges, or other people involved in a court case in order to influence the court's decision: · The trial had to be abandoned when it was discovered that jury members had been got at by the Mafia.· He didn't like the idea that he had been nobbled, especially by a woman.· When the police questioned Davis, it was clear someone else had gotten to him first.
► under duress formal achieved by using unfair threats to force someone to admit something or give something to someone: · The confession had been obtained under duress, and therefore could not be allowed as evidence.· In her defence, the accused said that she had been acting under duress when she took the money.
WORD SETS► Horsesbareback, adjectivebay, nounbit, nounblacksmith, nounblaze, nounblinkered, adjectiveblinkers, nounbloodstock, nounbridle, nounbridle, verbcanter, verbcard, nouncrop, noundressage, nounequestrian, adjectiveequine, adjectiveevens, nounfarrier, nounfence, nounfield, nounfilly, noungallop, verbgallop, noungee-gee, noungelding, noungirth, noungroom, noungymkhana, nounhack, verbhack, nounhalter, nounhand, nounhigh-spirited, adjectivehorsemanship, nounhorse-riding, nounjib, verbjockey, nounjodhpurs, nounjoust, verbjump, nounlad, nounlength, nounmiler, nounmount, nounnag, nounneigh, verbnobble, verbnosebag, nounodds, nounofftrack, adjectiveostler, nounpack trip, nounpaddock, nounpair, nounpalomino, nounparimutuel, nounpommel, nounpony-trekking, nounprance, verbracecourse, nounracegoer, nounracehorse, nounrace meeting, nounracetrack, nounracing, nounrein, nounremount, verbride, verbriding, nounroan, nounrodeo, nounsaddle, nounsaddle, verbsaddle bag, nounshoe, nounshoe, verbshow jumping, nounshy, verbskittish, adjectivespur, nounspur, verbstable, nounstable, verbstable boy, nounstabling, nounstarting gate, nounstarting price, nounstayer, nounsteeplechase, nounsteward, nounstirrup, nountack, nounthoroughbred, nounthree-day event, nountip, nountipster, nountournament, nountout, verbtrot, nounturf accountant, noununseat, verbwater jump, nounwhoa, interjectionwinning post, nounyearling, noun
The jury had been nobbled and the case had to be reheard.2to prevent a horse from winning a race, especially by giving it drugs3to get someone’s attention, especially in order to persuade them to do something: I was nobbled by my deaf old aunt and couldn’t get away.