garble

Webster's Dictionary (1913)

Origin: Formerly, to pick out, sort, OF. grabeler, for garbeler to examine precisely, garble spices, fr. LL. garbellare to sift; cf. Sp. garbillar to sift, garbillo a coarse sieve, L. cribellum, dim. of cribrum sieve, akin to cernere to separate, sift (cf. E. Discern); or perh. rather from Ar. gharbāl, gharbil, sieve.

1. To sift or bolt, to separate the fine or valuable parts of from the coarse and useless parts, or from dross or dirt; as, to garble spices. obsolete

2. To pick out such parts of as may serve a purpose; to mutilate; to pervert; as, to garble a quotation; to garble an account.

1. Refuse; rubbish. obsolete John Wolcott

2. pl. Impurities separated from spices, drugs, etc.; — also called garblings.

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54