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gimble

Verb
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A rare or invented verb meaning to make a twisting or boring motion. It is not a common modern English word.

Detailed Definition
Carroll likely chose this word for its sound as much as for any meaning. Readers usually need a glossary because it is obscure and functions as part of the poem’s playful nonsense vocabulary.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Did gyre and gimble in the wabe” from Carroll’s “Jabberwocky” uses a coined verb; Humpty Dumpty explains gimble as making holes like a gimlet; Nonsense diction invites readers to infer meaning from sound and context; “Beetles gimbled the soil” suggests boring or drilling.
Additional Notes
The word in the quote is highly unusual and not part of ordinary modern vocabulary.; Found in the poem, Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll
Also Known As
wobble twist spiral
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