sable

UK: /ˈseɪb^əl/ US: /ˈseɪbəl/ ,(sā′bəl)

Inflections of 'sable' (n):

sables

npl (All usages)

sable

npl (Can be used as a collective plural––e.g. "Sable are kept by fur farmers.")

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

sa•ble /ˈseɪbəl/   n., pl. -bles, (esp. when thought of as a group for 1, 2. ) -ble. 

1. Mammals [countable] a small dark-colored Eurasian or North American marten, valued for its fur.
2. Clothing [uncountable] the fur of the sable.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

sa•ble  (sā′bəl), n., pl. -bles, (esp. collectively for 1, 2) -ble, adj. 
n. 

1. Mammals an Old World weasellike mammal, Mustela zibellina, of cold regions in Eurasia and the North Pacific islands, valued for its dark brown fur.
2. Mammals a marten, esp. Mustela americana.
3. Clothing the fur of the sable.
4. Heraldry the color black, often being one of the heraldic colors.
5. Clothing sables, mourning garments.

adj. 

6. Heraldry of the heraldic color sable.
7. Clothing made of the fur or hair of the sable.
8. very dark;
   black.

• Slavic or Baltic; compare Russian sóbol', Lithuanian sàbalas; ulterior origin, originally obscure
• Middle Low German sabel (compare late Old High German zobel)
• Old French
• Middle English 1275–1325

Sa•ble  (sā′bəl), n. Cape, 

1. a cape on a small island at the SW tip of Nova Scotia, Canada: lighthouse.
2. a cape at the S tip of Florida.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

sable / ˈseɪb^əl/ noun ( -bles, -ble)

1. a marten, Martes zibellina, of N Asian forests, with dark brown luxuriant fur
2. the highly valued fur of this animal
3. (as modifier): a sable coat
4. American sable ⇒ the brown, slightly less valuable fur of the American marten, Martes americana
5. the colour of sable fur: a dark brown to yellowish-brown colour

adjective

1. of the colour of sable fur
2. black; dark; gloomy
3. (usually postpositive) of the colour black

Etymology: 15th Century: from Old French, from Old High German zobel, of Slavic origin; related to Russian sobol', Polish sobol

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Sable / ˈseɪb^əl/ noun Cape Sable ⇒

1. a cape at the S tip of Florida: the southernmost point of continental US
2. the southernmost point of Nova Scotia, Canada