I. ˈfābəl noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin fabula conversation, narrative, tale, play, fable, from fari to speak, say — more at fame
1. : a fictitious narrative or statement : an invented tale : fiction: as
a. : untruth , falsehood
the fables and misrepresentations of this pamphlet
b. : a story of supernatural or highly marvelous happenings (as in legend, myth, or folklore)
c. : a narration intended to enforce some useful truth or precept ; especially : one in which animals and even inanimate objects speak and act like human beings
the fable of the fox in the barnyard
— see beast fable
d. : casual, idle, or foolish report or talk
old wives' fables
broadly : common talk
2.
a. : a subject of fable : something (as a mysterious event) productive of fabulous accounts or explanations ; broadly : a theme of popular talk and speculation
he became the chief fable of the village
b. : a product of fable : something having reality only in fabulous accounts
if personal immortality is not a fable
3. : the plot, story, or connected series of events forming the theme of a literary work (as an epic poem or play)
Synonyms: see allegory , fiction
II. verb
( fabled ; fabled ; fabling -b(ə)liŋ ; fables )
Etymology: Middle English fablen, from Middle French fabler, from Latin fabulari to talk, from fabula
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to compose or tell fictitious tales
b. obsolete : to talk idly
2. archaic : to write or speak what is not true : utter falsehoods : lie
transitive verb
: to devise and recount as if real : report as if literally true
it is fabled that Norsemen built the tower
the bird of paradise was fabled to have no feet
how he fell from Heaven they fabled — John Milton