fable
A fictitious narrative intended to enforce some useful truth or precept, usually with animals, etc. as characters; an apologue. Prototypically, Aesop's Fables.
Noun
- A fictitious narrative intended to enforce some useful truth or precept, usually with animals, etc. as characters; an apologue. Prototypically, Aesop's Fables.
Synonyms: morality play
- Any story told to excite wonder; common talk; the theme of talk.
- But refuſe prophane and olde wiues fables, and exerciſe thy ſelfe rather vnto godlineſſe. - 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Timothy 4:7, column 1:
- […]we grew / The fable of the city where we dwelt. - 1842, Alfred Tennyson, “The Gardener’s Daughter; or, The Pictures”, in Poems. […], volume II, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 19:
Synonyms: legend
- Fiction; untruth; falsehood.
- I say it would look like a fable to report that this gentleman gives away all which is the overplus of a great fortune by secret methods to other men. - 1712 January 12 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison; Richard...
- The plot, story, or connected series of events forming the subject of an epic or dramatic poem.
- For the moral (as Bossu observes,) is the first business of the poet, as being the groundwork of his instruction. This being formed, he contrives such a design, or fable, as may be most suitable to the moral; - 1695,...
Origin
From Middle English, borrowed from Old French fable, from Latin fābula, from fārī (“to speak, say”) + -bula (“instrumental suffix”). See ban, and compare fabulous, fame. Doublet of fabula.
Forms
Related
Derived
fabledom fablelike fablemaker fablemonger fablist fabulist fibble-fable fible-fable have a fable for outfable personal fable semifable
Verb
- To compose fables; hence, to write or speak fiction; to write or utter what is not true.
- He Fables not, I heare the enemie: / Out ſome light Horſemen, and peruſe their Wings. - 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, &...
- Vain now the Tales which fab’ling Poets tell, / That wav’ring Conqueſt ſtill deſires to rove; / In Marlbrô’s Camp the Goddeſs knows to dwell: / Long as the Hero’s Life remains her Love. - 1709, Mat[thew] Prior, “An Ode,...
- 1852, Matthew Arnold, Empedocles on Etna, Act II, in Empedocles on Etna and Other Poems, London: B. Fellowes, p. 50, He fables, yet speaks truth.
- To make up; to devise, and speak of, as true or real; to tell of falsely; to recount in the form of a fable.
- […] erre not that ſo ſhall end / The ſtrife of Glorie: which we mean to win, / Or turn this Heav’n itſelf into the Hell / Thou fableſt […] - 1667, John Milton, “Book VI”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel...
- THE Poets Fable, That Apollo being enamoured of Caſſandra, was by her many ſhifts and cunning ſlights ſtill deluded in his Deſire […] - 1691, “Cassandra, or, Divination”, in Arthur Gorges, transl., The Wisdom of the...
- Fabled by the daughters of memory. And yet it was in some way if not as memory fabled it. A phrase, then, of impatience, thud of Blake’s wings of excess. - 1922 February, James Joyce, “[Episode 2: Nestor]”, in Ulysses,...