noble meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

noble

noun

UK /ˈnəʊbəl/ · US /ˈnoʊbəl/

Etymology From Middle English noble, from Old French noble, borrowed from Latin nōbilis (“knowable, known, well-known, famous, celebrated, high-born, of noble birth, excellent”), from nōscere, gnōscere (“to know”). False cognate of Arabic نبيل (nabīl). Displaced native Middle English athel, from Old English æþele.

An aristocrat; one of aristocratic blood.

This country house was occupied by nobles in the 16th century.

Historical A medieval gold coin of England in the 14th and 15th centuries, usually valued at 6s 8d.

I lyked no thynge his playe, / For yf I had not quyckely fledde the touche, / He had plucte oute the nobles of my pouche.1499, John Skelton, The Bowge of Courte:
And who shall then stick closest to ye, and excite others? not he who takes up armes for cote and conduct, and his four nobles of Danegelt.1644, John Milton, Areopagitica, page 34:

1 more example

There, before the high altar, as the choir's voices soared upwards to the blue, star-flecked ceiling, Henry knelt and made his offering of a ‘noble in gold’, 6s 8d.2011, Thomas Penn, Winter King, Penguin, published 2012, page 93:

Derived terms: half-noble, noble gas, nobleman

noble

adj

Having honorable qualities; having moral eminence and freedom from anything petty, mean or dubious in conduct and character.

He made a noble effort.
He is a noble man who would never put his family in jeopardy.

2 more examples

Korben, I realize you must be pretty mad at me. But I want you to know that I am fighting for a noble cause. / Yes, you're trying to save the world. I remember.1997, 1:44:10 from the start, in The Fifth Element (Science Fiction / Action), →ISBN, →OCLC:
Wouldn't it be nobler by far to fight the good fight with all the weapons available: a firm bass voice, a wagging finger, the Bible?2001 June 10, Walter Kim, “What Do You Tell The Kids?”, in TIME, archived from the original on 07 Mar 2016, retrieved 16 Jul 2014:

Grand; stately; magnificent; splendid.

a noble edifice
He was thinking; but the glory of the song, the swell from the great organ, the clustered lights, […], the height and vastness of this noble fane, its antiquity and its strength—all these things seemed to have their part as causes of the thrilling emotion that accompanied his thoughts.1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter V, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

Of exalted rank; of or relating to the nobility; distinguished from the masses by birth, station, or title; highborn.

noble blood; a noble personage

Chemistry, Natural sciences, Physical sciences Of an element, unreactive.

Beverages, Food, Lifestyle, Oenology, Wine Belonging to a class of grape cultivars traditionally considered most favorable for winemaking, usually encompassing the six: Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon blanc, Chardonnay, and Riesling.

Geometry, Mathematics, Sciences Of a polyhedron Both isohedral and isogonal.

Derived terms: 27 terms
angel-noble, antinoble, ennoble, nobility, noble art, noble birth, noble-born, noblebright, noble chafer, noble eightfold path, noble experiment, noble fir, noble gas, noble hops, noble lie, nobleman, noble metal, noble-minded, nobleness, noble rot, noble savage, noblewoman, nobly, nonnoble, rose noble, unnoble, unnobled
Related terms: danseur noble, honorable