Garble - Definition and Overview

In telecommunication, the term garble has the following meanings:

Garble in transmissions

An error in transmission, reception, encryption, or decryption that changes the text of a message or any portion thereof in such a manner that it is incorrect or undecryptable.

Garble in telephone circuits

In a telephone circuit or channel, readily audible but unintelligible interference from another circuit or channel.

Garble may, for example, take place in an FDM telephone carrier system in which an interfering signal from another channel or system is demodulated in such a fashion that it has an objectionable audio power level but is nonetheless unintelligible.

Source: from Federal Standard 1037C and from the Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms