gar·ble / ˈgärbəl/ • v. [tr.] reproduce (a message, sound, or transmission) in a confused and distorted way: the connection was awful and kept garbling his voice | [as adj.] (garbled) I got a garbled set of directions. • n. a garbled account or transmission.DERIVATIVES: gar·bler / -b(ə)lər/ n.

garble †sift, take the pick of XV; make selection from (unfairly or with a bias) XVII. — It. garbellare sift, f. garbello sieve — Arab. ġirbāl, perh. — late L. crībellum, dim. of crībrum.