Noble \No"ble\, a. [Compar. {Nobler}; superl. {Noblest}.] [F. noble, fr. L. nobilis that can be or is known, well known, famous, highborn, noble, fr. noscere to know. See {know}.] 1. Possessing eminence, elevation, dignity, etc.; above whatever is low, mean, degrading, or dishonorable; magnanimous; as, a noble nature or action; a noble heart.
Statues, with winding ivy crowned, belong To nobler poets for a nobler song. --Dryden.
2. Grand; stately; magnificent; splendid; as, a noble edifice.
3. Of exalted rank; of or pertaining to the nobility; distinguished from the masses by birth, station, or title; highborn; as, noble blood; a noble personage.
Note: Noble is used in the formation of self-explaining compounds; as, noble-born, noble-hearted, noble-minded.
{Noble gas} (Chem.), a gaseous element belonging to group VIII of the periodic table of elements, not combining with other elements under normal reaction conditions; specifically, {helium}, {neon}, {argon}, {krypton}, {xenon}, or {radon}; also called {inert gas}.
{Noble metals} (Chem.), silver, gold, and platinum; -- so called from their resistance to oxidation by air and to dissolution by acids. Copper, mercury, aluminium, palladium, rhodium, iridium, and osmium are sometimes included.
Recorking is especially needed for the nobler wines of the world, made with the view that a very good bottle may not reach the most drinkable period for years, even decades and generations.
While Auschwitz will remain a stark symbol of the deepest evils of which human beings are capable, the new convent nearby may come to be seen as evidence of our nobler instincts.