The Collaborative International Dictionary
Cable \Ca"ble\ (k[=a]"b'l), n. [F. c[^a]ble, LL. capulum, caplum, a rope, fr. L. capere to take; cf. D., Dan., & G. kabel, from the French. See Capable.]
A large, strong rope or chain, of considerable length, used to retain a vessel at anchor, and for other purposes. It is made of hemp, of steel wire, or of iron links.
A rope of steel wire, or copper wire, usually covered with some protecting or insulating substance; as, the cable of a suspension bridge; a telegraphic cable.
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(Arch) A molding, shaft of a column, or any other member of convex, rounded section, made to resemble the spiral twist of a rope; -- called also cable molding. Bower cable, the cable belonging to the bower anchor. Cable road, a railway on which the cars are moved by a continuously running endless rope operated by a stationary motor. Cable's length, the length of a ship's cable. Cables in the merchant service vary in length from 100 to 140 fathoms or more; but as a maritime measure, a cable's length is either 120 fathoms (720 feet), or about 100 fathoms (600 feet, an approximation to one tenth of a nautical mile). Cable tier.
That part of a vessel where the cables are stowed.
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A coil of a cable.
Sheet cable, the cable belonging to the sheet anchor.
Stream cable, a hawser or rope, smaller than the bower cables, to moor a ship in a place sheltered from wind and heavy seas.
Submarine cable. See Telegraph.
To pay out the cable, To veer out the cable, to slacken it, that it may run out of the ship; to let more cable run out of the hawse hole.
To serve the cable, to bind it round with ropes, canvas, etc., to prevent its being, worn or galled in the hawse, et.
To slip the cable, to let go the end on board and let it all run out and go overboard, as when there is not time to weigh anchor. Hence, in sailor's use, to die.
WordNet
n : a nautical unit of depth [syn: cable, cable length]
Usage examples of "cable's length".
Overhead blazed the pitiless sun, softening the pitch in the seams, while yard after painful yard, cable's length after cable's length, the ship crept on down the bay out of range of the red‑.
Overhead blazed the pitiless sun, softening the pitch in the seams, while yard after painful yard, cable's length after cable's length, the ship crept on down the bay out of range of the red-hot shot, over the glittering still water.
Dahlak Island was a darker mass in the dark night, but they were a full cable's length clear of her rocks.
A cable's length away, over the grey topped waves the Natividad was slowly wearing round to return and deal a fresh blow at her helpless opponent.
Brown put his helm over a little to lay the barge on a course that would take her past the sloop at a cable's length distance, heading for the gunfire.
He looked towards the land again, to measure the diminishing distance, and as he looked a warning rose out of the sea a cable's length away like a ghost.
A cable's length to windward the Indefatigable rounded-to, and she was hoisting out her boats before even she was fully round.
On the 5th of November, which was the beginning of summer in those parts, the weather being very hazy, the seamen spied a rock within half a cable's length of the ship.
Willingly or not, Le Chaumareys had the wind-gage, and his ship now stood off Undine's starboard bow, a bare cable's length away.
In order to cross the enemy's line or even to reach a point within the short range of the Ariel's carronades before nightfall he would have to take advantage of every cable's length of advance he possessed.