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GARBLE

Volume 9 · 59 words · 1815 Edition

a word used to signify the action of separating the dross and dust from spice, drugs, &c. Garbling is the cleaning and purifying the good from the bad; and many come from the Italian garbo; i.e. finery or neatness: and hence, probably, we say, when we see a man in a neat habit, that he is in handsome garb.