▪ I. † ˈmoble, a. and n. Obs.
Forms: 4–6 moble, (4 mobill, Sc. mwbill), 4–5 meoble, moeble, meble, (4 meeble, Sc. mebile, 5 Sc. mobylle, mubulle, meuble), 5–6 mobil.
[a. OF. moeble, moble (mod.F. meuble) = Pr. moble, Sp. moble, mueble, Pg. movel, It. mobile:—popular L. *mŏbil-em for class. L. mōbil-em: see mobile.]
A. adj. Movable. Chiefly of possessions, e.g. in goods mobles, moble goods, personal property.
| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 300 Whan þe kyng asked half of alle þer moble þing. c 1340 Hampole Prose Tr. 11 Thou sall noghte couayte þe hous or oþer thynge mobill or in-mobill of þi neghtbour. c 1391 Chaucer Astrol. i. §21 Alle the signes, be they moist or drie, or moeble or fix. 1429 Wills & Inv. N.C. (Surtees) I. 80 And alle remenant and residewe of my goods moblez and vnmoblez. 1480 Caxton Chron. Eng. ccxxv. 230 For whiche nedes to be sped the kyng axed the fifthe part of all the meoble goodes of englond. |
B. n. pl. Movable goods; ‘personal’ property. rare in sing.
| 13.. Coer de L. 6460 Home he wente..With that tresore and the moble. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 145 Richard..His mobles on siluer reised þorgh Inglond alle his gode. 1375 Barbour Bruce v. 275 A man..That wes..rich of mwbill [MS. E moble] and catell. c 1420 Anturs of Arth. 199 (Douce MS.) If auþer matens or mas miȝte mende þi mys, Or eny meble [v.r. mobylles] one molde. a 1450 Knt. de la Tour (1868) 119 They wolde haue lefte her no thinge nor londes, heritage, nor meuble. 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 154 Gudis wonnyn apon inymyes..that is to say meubleis. 1513 Douglas æneis viii. vi. 15 Nor ȝit had [thai] craft to conques nor wyn geyr, Nor kep thair moblis quhen it gadderit was. |
▪ II. moble, mobble, v. Obs. exc. dial.
(ˈmɒb(ə)l)
Also moble.
[frequent. f. mob v.1 Cf. mabble v.]
trans. To muffle (one's) head or face. Chiefly with up. Hence † mobled ppl. a.
| 1603 Shakes. Ham. (Qos.) ii. ii. 524 Play. But who, O who had seene the mobled [1st Fol. inobled] Queene? Cor. Mobled Queene is good, faith very good. 1655 Shirley Gentl. Venice v. iii, The moon does mobble up her self sometime in't. Where she will shew a quarter face, and was The first that wore a black bag. 1668 Ogilby æsop ii. xi. 26 Mobbled nine dayes in my Considering-cap. 1673 Marvell Reh. Transp. ii. 278 The old Jades..are mobled up like so many Judges. 1879 in Miss Jackson Shropsh. Word-bk. s.v. Moble, 'Er mobles 'erself up in that owd 'ood an' shawl, an' sits by the fire, tell 'er's as nesh as nesh. Ibid., Yo' mun moble yourself well up, its a despert, raw, coud night. |
¶ In mod. writers echoing Shakespeare's use.
| 1860 S. Dobell in Macm. Mag. Aug. 325 But heard, far off, the mobled woe Of some new plaintiff for the light. 1877 Earl of Southesk Meda Maiden, etc. 120 There rested a woman,—close mantled in brown, Mobled and muffled from sandal to crown. |