n. small flat-bottomed fishing boat suitable for launching from a beach, found on the north-east coast of England and in Scotland.
the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
n. A flat-floored fishing boat with a lug sail, and a drop rudder extending from two to four feet below the keel. It was originally used on the stormy coast of Yorkshire, England.
The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
n. A flattish-bottomed, clincher-built fishing-boat with a square stern.
Word Usage
"Looking to eastward you saw a dark semicircular streak on the water, and inside this streak a coble glided slowly hither and thither."