Fable \Fa"ble\ (f[=a]"b'l), n. [F., fr. L. fabula, fr. fari to speak, say. See Ban, and cf. Fabulous, Fame.]

1. A Feigned story or tale, intended to instruct or amuse; a fictitious narration intended to enforce some useful truth or precept; an apologue. See the Note under Apologue. [1913 Webster]

Jotham's fable of the trees is the oldest extant. --Addison. [1913 Webster]

Note: A fable may have talking animals anthropomorphically cast as humans representing different character types, sometimes illustrating some moral principle; as, Aesop's Fables. [PJC]

2. The plot, story, or connected series of events, forming the subject of an epic or dramatic poem. [1913 Webster]

The moral is the first business of the poet; this being formed, he contrives such a design or fable as may be most suitable to the moral. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]

3. Any story told to excite wonder; common talk; the theme of talk. "Old wives' fables. " --1 Tim. iv. 7. [1913 Webster]

We grew The fable of the city where we dwelt. --Tennyson. [1913 Webster]

4. Fiction; untruth; falsehood. [1913 Webster]

It would look like a fable to report that this gentleman gives away a great fortune by secret methods. --Addison. [1913 Webster]

Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
 

Fable \Fa"ble\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Fabled; p. pr. & vb. n. Fabling.]

To compose fables; hence, to write or speak fiction; to write or utter what is not true. "He Fables not." --Shak. [1913 Webster]

Vain now the tales which fabling poets tell. --Prior. [1913 Webster]

He fables, yet speaks truth. --M. Arnold. [1913 Webster]

Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
 

Fable \Fa"ble\, v. t. To feign; to invent; to devise, and speak of, as true or real; to tell of falsely. [1913 Webster]

The hell thou fablest. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
 

88 Moby Thesaurus words for "fable": Marchen, Western, Western story, Westerner, action, adventure story, allegory, anagnorisis, angle, apologue, architectonics, architecture, argument, atmosphere, background, bedtime story, canard, catastrophe, characterization, color, complication, concoction, continuity, contrivance, denouement, design, detective story, development, device, episode, extravaganza, fabliau, fabrication, fairy tale, falling action, fantasy, fiction, figment, folk story, folktale, forgery, gest, ghost story, gimmick, horse opera, incident, invention, legend, line, local color, love story, mood, motif, movement, mystery, mystery story, myth, mythology, mythos, nursery tale, parable, peripeteia, plan, plot, recognition, rising action, romance, scheme, science fiction, secondary plot, shocker, slant, space fiction, space opera, story, structure, subject, subplot, suspense story, switch, thematic development, theme, thriller, tone, topic, twist, whodunit, work of fiction

Source: Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
 

fable

Source: WordNet (r) 2.0
 

Fable \Fa"ble\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Fabled; p. pr. & vb. n. Fabling.]

To compose fables; hence, to write or speak fiction; to write or utter what is not true. ``He Fables not.'' --Shak.

Vain now the tales which fabling poets tell. --Prior.

He fables, yet speaks truth. --M. Arnold.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

Fable \Fa"ble\, v. t. To feign; to invent; to devise, and speak of, as true or real; to tell of falsely.

The hell thou fablest. --Milton.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

Fable \Fa"ble\ (f[=a]"b'l), n. [F., fr. L. fabula, fr. fari to speak, say. See Ban, and cf. Fabulous, Fame.]

1. A Feigned story or tale, intended to instruct or amuse; a fictitious narration intended to enforce some useful truth or precept; an apologue. See the Note under Apologue.

Jotham's fable of the trees is the oldest extant. --Addison.

2. The plot, story, or connected series of events, forming the subject of an epic or dramatic poem.

The moral is the first business of the poet; this being formed, he contrives such a design or fable as may be most suitable to the moral. --Dryden.

3. Any story told to excite wonder; common talk; the theme of talk. ``Old wives' fables. '' --1 Tim. iv. 7.

We grew The fable of the city where we dwelt. --Tennyson.

4. Fiction; untruth; falsehood.

It would look like a fable to report that this gentleman gives away a great fortune by secret methods. --Addison.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)