noble

Etymology

From Middle English, from Old French noble, from Latin nōbilis (“knowable, known, well-known, famous, celebrated, high-born, of noble birth, excellent”), from nōscere, gnōscere (“to know”). Displaced native Middle English athel, from Old English æþele.

noun

1. An aristocrat; one of aristocratic blood.
   This country house was occupied by nobles in the 16th century.
2. (historical) A medieval gold coin of England in the 14th and 15th centuries, usually valued at 6s 8d.
   I lyked no thynge his playe, / For yf I had not quyckely fledde the touche, / He had plucte oute the nobles of my pouche. 1499, John Skelton, The Bowge of Courte
   And who shall then stick closest to ye, and excite others? not he who takes up armes for cote and conduct, and his four nobles of Danegelt. 1644, John Milton, Areopagitica
   There, before the high altar, as the choir's voices soared upwards to the blue, star-flecked ceiling, Henry knelt and made his offering of a ‘noble in gold’, 6s 8d. 2011, Thomas Penn, Winter King, Penguin, published 2012, page 93

adj

1. Having honorable qualities; having moral eminence and freedom from anything petty, mean or dubious in conduct and character.
   He made a noble effort.
   He is a noble man who would never put his family in jeopardy.
   Korben, I realize you must be pretty mad at me. But I want you to know that I am fighting for a noble cause. / Yes, you're trying to save the world. I remember. 1997, 1:44:10 from the start, in The Fifth Element (Science Fiction / Action), →OCLC
2. Grand; stately; magnificent; splendid.
   a noble edifice
3. Of exalted rank; of or relating to the nobility; distinguished from the masses by birth, station, or title; highborn.
   noble blood; a noble personage
4. (winemaking) Belonging to a class of grape cultivars traditionally considered most favorable for winemaking, usually encompassing the six: Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon blanc, Chardonnay, and Riesling.
5. (geometry, of a polyhedron) Both isohedral and isogonal.