1. n.1 a a small brown-furred flesh-eating mammal, Martes zibellina, of N. Europe and parts of N. Asia, related to the marten. b its skin or fur.
2 a fine paintbrush made of sable fur.
Etymology: ME f. OF f. med.L sabelum f. Slav. 2. n. & adj.
--n.
1. esp. poet. black.
2 (in pl.) mourning garments.
3 (in full sable antelope) a large stout-horned African antelope, Hippotragus niger, the males of which are mostly black in old age.
--adj.
1. (usu. placed after noun) Heraldry black.
2 esp. poet. dark, gloomy.
Derivatives:
sabled adj. sably adv.
Etymology: ME f. OF (in Heraldry): gen. taken to be identical with SABLE(1), although sable fur is dark brown