-able
-able — (O)F. -able — L. -ābilis, produced orig. by the addition of -bilis -BLE to vbs. with ā-stems, as amāre, amābilis, but extended to vbs. with other stems, e.g. capere, capābilis CAPABLE, and to sbs., as amīcābilis AMICABLE, favōrābilis FAVOURABLE. Eng. formations on sbs. are actionable, pleasurable, saleable (XVI). The meaning in new formations is now always passive, but the active meaning, always formerly possible, is seen in agreeable, comfortable, durable, suitable. The wide application of the suffix in Eng. is largely due to assoc. with ABLE, eatable (e.g.) being analysed as eat + able ‘able to be eaten’ hence its use in come-at-able (XVII), get-at-able (XVIII). Notable formations are knowledgeable and reliable. The corr. advs. end in -ably.
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ablative , ab·la·tive / ˈablətiv/ • adj. 1. Gram. relating to or denoting a case (esp. in Latin) of nouns and pronouns (and words in grammatical agreement with… scalable , scal·a·ble / ˈskāləbəl/ • adj. 1. able to be scaled or climbed. 2. able to be changed in size or scale: scalable fonts. ∎ (of a computing process) ab… Formation , for·ma·tion / fôrˈmāshən/ • n. 1. the action of forming or process of being formed: the formation of the Great Rift Valley. 2. a structure or arrange… ductility , duc·tile / ˈdəktl; -ˌtīl/ • adj. (of a metal) able to be drawn out into a thin wire. ∎ able to be deformed without losing toughness; pliable, not bri… Format , for·mat / ˈfôrˌmat/ • n. the way in which something is arranged or set out: the format of the funeral service. ∎ the shape, size, and presentation of… soluble , soluble •babble, bedabble, dabble, drabble, gabble, grabble, rabble, scrabble •amble, bramble, Campbell, gamble, gambol, ramble, scramble, shamble •p…
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