garble Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb make false by mutilation or addition; as of a message or story
    warp; falsify; distort.

WordNet

Gar"ble transitive verb
Etymology
Formerly, to pick out, sort, OF. grabeler, for garbeler to examine precisely, garble spices, fr. LL. garbellare to sift; cf. Sp. garbillar to sift, garbillo a coarse sieve, L. cribellum, dim. of cribrum sieve, akin to cernere to separate, sift (cf. E. Discern); or perh. rather from Ar. gharbal, gharbil, sieve.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Garbled ; present participle & verbal noun Garbling
Definitions
  1. To sift or bolt, to separate the fine or valuable parts of from the coarse and useless parts, or from dros or dirt; as, to garble spices. Obs.
  2. To pick out such parts of as may serve a purpose; to mutilate; to pervert; as, to garble a quotation; to garble an account.
Gar"ble noun
Definitions
  1. Refuse; rubbish. Obs. Wolcott.
  2. pl. Impurities separated from spices, drugs, etc.; -- also called garblings.

Webster 1913