wimble

plural wimbles · alternative whimble

1. Any of various hand tools for boring holes.

present singular third person wimbles · participle present wimbling · participle past wimbled · past wimbled

1. transitiveTo truss (hay) with a wimble.

   “What have you been doing?” “Tending thrashing-machine and wimbling haybonds, and saying ‘Hoosh!’ to the cocks and hens when they go upon your seeds, and planting Early Flourballs and Thompson’s Wonderfuls with a dibble.”

   1874, Thomas Hardy, chapter 10, in Far from the Madding Crowd

2. transitiveTo bore or pierce, as with a wimble.

   My body heavier & heavier, my head a stone, & within an insistent voice wimbling away […]

   2001, Richard Flanagan, “The Freshwater Crayfish”, in Gould’s Book of Fish, New York: Grove, IV, p. 343

   1 more example

   1692, Anthony Wood, Athenae Oxonienses, London: Lackington et al., 1820, Volume 4, p. 39, […] a foot soldier had hid himself […] and being greedy of prey, crept into the vault, and cut so much of the velvet pall that covered the great body, as he judged would hardly be missed, and wimbled also a hole thro’ the said coffin that was largest […]

comparative more wimble · superlative most wimble

1. obsoleteactive; nimble

   1755, Moses Mendez, “The Squire of Dames” Canto 1, Stanza 27, in Robert Dodsley (editor), A Collection of Poems in Four Volumes, London: R. & J. Dodsley, Volume 4, p. 135, Man throws the wimble bait, and greedy woman bites.

   4 more examples

   He was so wimble, and so wight, From bough to bough he lepped light,

   1579, Edmund Spenser, “March, Aegloga Tertia”, in The Shepheardes Calender, London: Hugh Singleton, page 9b

   1579, Edward Hake, Newes out of Powles Churchyarde, London: John Charlewood and Richard Jhones, “The first Satyr,” And casting backe mine eye, I spyde a pretie wymble lad, Who saluing of his mate, dyd aske what newes were to be had.

   Be not affright, sweete Prince; appease thy feare, Buckle thy spirits up, put all thy wits In wimble action, or thou art surpriz’d.

   1602, John Marston, Antonio and Mellida, London: Mathewe Lownes and Thomas Fisher, act III

   1614, John Davies, The Shepheards Pipe, London: George Norton, “An Eclogue between yong Willy the singer of his natiue Pastorals, and old WERNOCKE his friend,” Then nought can be atchieu’d with witty shewes, Sith griefe of Elde accloyen wimble wit;

plural Wimbles

1. A surname.