First attested since 1300s, from Middle English rablen (“to ramble; rave; speak in a confused manner”), cognate with Middle Dutch rabbelen (“to talk; chatter; trifle”), Low German rabbeln, robbeln (“to chatter; prattle”).
Meanings
(intransitive) To speak in a confused manner; talk incoherently; utter nonsense
(transitive) To speak confusedly or incoherently; gabble or chatter out
From Middle English rabel, probably from the verb (see above).
Meanings
(obsolete) A bewildered or meaningless string of words.
(obsolete) A pack of animals; or any confused collection of things.
A mob; a disorderly crowd.
(derogatory) The mass of common people; the lowest class of populace.
Such practices as Theſe, too groſs to lye / Long unobſerv'd by each diſcerning Eye, / The more judicious Iſraelites Unſpell'd, / Though ſtill the Charm the giddy Rabble held, […] 1682, [Nahum Tate; John Dryden], The Second Part of Absalom and Achitophel. A Poem, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 5:
ru простонаро́дье (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · cs plebs (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · fi väkijoukko (a disorderly crowd) · ru сброд (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · bg простолюдие (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · cs masa (a disorderly crowd) · grc συρφετός (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · ca gentussa (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · es gentualla (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · fr foule (a disorderly crowd) · pl hołota (a disorderly crowd) · ca gentalla (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · ru чернь (a disorderly crowd) · ki gĩcanjama (a disorderly crowd) · pt malta (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · es populacho (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · cs dav (a disorderly crowd) · es turba (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · pl bydło (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · ru бы́дло (a disorderly crowd) · es gleba (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · es chusma (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · fi ihmisjoukko (a disorderly crowd) · ko 떨거지 (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · la popellus (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · ca xurma (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · mk раја (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · ca populatxo (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · io raskalaro (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · es muchedumbre (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · cs lůza (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · pl hałastra (a disorderly crowd) · el σκυλολόι (a disorderly crowd) · ca turba (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · gl xente bafúa (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · ja 有象無象 (a disorderly crowd) · pl męty (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · pt gentalha (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · ru чернь (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · pl motłoch (a disorderly crowd) · lt gaujà (a disorderly crowd) · el αληταρία (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · hu csőcselék (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · gl xentalla (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · ru толпа́ (a disorderly crowd) · es turba (a disorderly crowd) · pt ralé (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · ca patuleia (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · lt pãdugnės (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · ca xusma (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · es gentuza (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · ja 烏合の衆 (a disorderly crowd) · es plebe (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · ru сброд (a disorderly crowd) · grc σύρφαξ (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · fr plèbe (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · bg тълпа (a disorderly crowd) · ru бы́дло n толпа́ (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · cs horda (a disorderly crowd) · ca trepa (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · el όχλος (a disorderly crowd) · fr populace (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · it gentaglia (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · hu csürhe (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · es gentecilla (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · gl chusma (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · es patulea (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · hu söpredék (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · de Pöbel (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · fr racaille (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · sv pöbel (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · fr cohue (a disorderly crowd) · fi rahvas (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · ca gentola (the mass of common people; the lowest class of people) · hu tömeg (a disorderly crowd)