palpable

views updated May 29 2018

pal·pa·ble / ˈpalpəbəl/ • adj. able to be touched or felt: the palpable bump at the bridge of the nose. ∎  (esp. of a feeling or atmosphere) so intense as to be almost touched or felt: a palpable sense of loss. ∎  clear to the mind or plain to see: to talk of dawn raids in the circumstances is palpable nonsense.DERIVATIVES: pal·pa·bil·i·ty / ˌpalpəˈbilitē/ n.pal·pa·bly / -blē/ adv.ORIGIN: late Middle English: from late Latin palpabilis, from Latin palpare ‘feel, touch gently.’

palpable

views updated May 29 2018

palpable tangible, sensible XIV; plainly observable XV; evident, manifest XVII. — late L. palpābilis, f. palpāre touch soothingly; see -ABLE.
So palpation handling. XV. — F. or L.

Palpable

views updated May 23 2018

PALPABLE

Easily perceptible, plain, obvious, readily visible, noticeable, patent, distinct, manifest.

The term palpable usually refers to some type of egregious wrong, such as a governmental error or abuse of power.