▪ I. famble, n. slang.
(ˈfæmb(ə)l)
[perh. f. famble v. in its (probable) original sense ‘to grope, fumble’.]
1. A hand.
| 1567 Harman Caveat 87 He tooke his Iockam in his famble. 1622 Fletcher Beggar's Bush ii. i, Last we clap our fambles. 1673 R. Head Canting Acad. 19 White thy fambles. 1815 Scott Guy M. xxviii, If I had not helped you with these very fambles (holding up her hands). |
† 2. A ring. Obs.
| 1688 Shadwell Sqr. Alsatia ii, Look on my finger..here's a Famble. 1691 Lond. Gaz. No. 2715/4 A small Famble, made up of two little Diamonds, and 4 or 5 Rubies. |
† 3. = fambler b. Obs.
| 1673 R. Head Canting Acad. 192 The thirteenth a Famble, false Rings for to sell. |
▪ II. † ˈfamble, v. Obs.
Also 4 famelen.
[Of obscure origin; the word may originally have had the sense ‘to grope, fumble’; cf. Sw. famla, Da. famle to grope, metathetic form of ON. falma (Icel. fálma), cogn. with OE. folm hand.]
1. intr. To speak imperfectly; to stammer, stutter.
| 14.. in Pol. Rel. & L. Poems (1866) 224 His tonge shal stameren, oþer famelen. 1611 Cotgr., Beguayer, to famble, fumble, maffle in the mouth. 1706 Phillips (ed. Kersey), Famble, to Faulter or Stammer in Speech. 1721–1800 in Bailey. 1886 S.W. Linc. Gloss., He fambles so in his talk. |
2. (See quot.)
| 1877 Peacock N.W. Linc. Gloss., Fambling, eating without an appetite. |
Hence ˈfambling vbl. n., ˈfambling ppl. a.
| 1611 Cotgr., Begayement, a fambling or maffling in the mouth. Ibid., Begué..fambling, fumbling, maffling in the mouth. a 1693 Urquhart Rabelais iii. xxvi. 216. |