WordWeight : Weighing the Words

Pronunciation : A"ble
Part of Speech : a. [Comp. Abler; superl. Ablest.]
Etymology : [OF. habile, L. habilis that may be easily held or managed, apt, skillful, fr. habere to have, hold. Cf. Habile and see Habit.]
Definition : 1. Fit; adapted; suitable. [Obs.] A many man, to ben an abbot able. Chaucer.

2. Having sufficient power, strength, force, skill, means, or resources of any kind to accomplish the object; possessed of qualifications rendering competent for some end; competent; qualified; capable; as, an able workman, soldier, seaman, a man able to work; a mind able to reason; a person able to be generous; able to endure pain; able to play on a piano.

3. Specially: Having intellectual qualifications, or strong mental powers; showing ability or skill; talented; clever; powerful; as, the ablest man in the senate; an able speech. No man wrote abler state papers. Macaulay.

4. (Law)

Defn: Legally qualified; possessed of legal competence; as, able to inherit or devise property.

Note: Able for, is Scotticism. "Hardly able for such a march." Robertson.

Syn. -- Competent; qualified; fitted; efficient; effective; capable; skillful; clever; vigorous; powerful.


Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913

Pronunciation : A"ble
Part of Speech : v. t.
Etymology : [See Able, a.] [Obs.]
Definition : 1. To make able; to enable; to strengthen. Chaucer.

2. To vouch for. "I 'll able them." Shak.


Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913

Pronunciation : *a*ble.
Etymology : [F. -able, L. -abilis.]
Definition : Defn: An adjective suffix now usually in a passive sense; able to be; fit to be; expressing capacity or worthiness in a passive sense; as, movable, able to be moved; amendable, able to be amended; blamable, fit to be blamed; salable.

Note: The form ible is used in the same sense.

Note: It is difficult to say when we are not to use -able instead of -ible. "Yet a rule may be laid down as to when we are to use it. To all verbs, then, from the Anglo-Saxon, to all based on the uncorrupted infinitival stems of Latin verbs of the first conjugation, and to all substantives, whencesoever sprung, we annex - able only." Fitzed. Hall.


Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913