Bible Encyclopedias

1911 Encyclopedia Britannica

Rabble

a general term for a disorderly crowd, apparently connected with the verb "to rabble," to talk or work in a confused manner, Du. rabbelen, Ger. dialect rabbeln, cf. Gr. pa/3aovECv, to howl. In iron and steel manufacture, a puddlingtool, for stirring the molten metal, is called a "rabble." This is a different word, adapted from Fr. rdble, for roable, Med. Lat. rotabulwm, Lat. rutabulum (ruere, to rake), a fire-shovel or oven rake.