As a noun, a cable is a thick, strong rope or wire used for support, electricity, or sending signals. As a verb, it can mean to send a message by telegraph or undersea wire (historical use).
From Old North French 'cable,' from Late Latin 'capulum' meaning 'rope' or 'halter.' It first referred to heavy ropes used on ships. With electricity and telegraphs, the word expanded to thick electrical and communication wires.
The internet you use may literally run through cables lying on the ocean floor, continuing a 19th‑century tradition of undersea telegraph cables. The word kept its core idea—'a strong, thick line'—while the contents changed from plant fibers to copper to fiber optics. 'Cable TV' is just signals riding through these long artificial nerves.
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