/fab"lee oh'/ ; Fr. /fann blee oh"/ , n. , pl. fabliaux /fab"lee ohz'/ ; Fr. /fann blee oh"/ .
a short metrical tale, usually ribald and humorous, popular in medieval France.
[ 1795-1805; fablel, fableau, equiv. to fable FABLE + -el dim. suffix; see -ELLE ]