Result from Foreign Dictionaries (5 entries found)

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Able \A"ble\, v. t. [See {Able}, a.] [Obs.] 1. To make able; to enable; to strengthen. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster] 2. To vouch for. "I 'll able them." --Shak. [1913 Webster] From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: -able \-a*ble\ (-[.a]*b'l). [F. -able, L. -abilis.] 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. [1913 Webster] Note: The form {-ible} is used in the same sense. [1913 Webster] 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. [1913 Webster] From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Able \A"ble\, a. [comp. {Abler}; superl. {Ablest}.] [OF. habile, L. habilis that may be easily held or managed, apt, skillful, fr. habere to have, hold. Cf. {Habile} and see {Habit}.] 1. Fit; adapted; suitable. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] A many man, to ben an abbot able. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster] 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. [1913 Webster] 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. [1913 Webster] No man wrote abler state papers. --Macaulay. [1913 Webster] 4. (Law) Legally qualified; possessed of legal competence; as, able to inherit or devise property. [1913 Webster] Note: {Able for}, is Scotticism. "Hardly able for such a march." --Robertson. [1913 Webster] Syn: Competent; qualified; fitted; efficient; effective; capable; skillful; clever; vigorous; powerful. [1913 Webster] From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: able adj 1: (usually followed by `to') having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something; "able to swim"; "she was able to program her computer"; "we were at last able to buy a car"; "able to get a grant for the project" [ant: {unable}] 2: have the skills and qualifications to do things well; "able teachers"; "a capable administrator"; "children as young as 14 can be extremely capable and dependable" [syn: {able}, {capable}] 3: having inherent physical or mental ability or capacity; "able to learn"; "human beings are able to walk on two feet"; "Superman is able to leap tall buildings" 4: having a strong healthy body; "an able seaman"; "every able- bodied young man served in the army" [syn: {able}, {able- bodied}] From French-English FreeDict Dictionary ver. 0.3.4 [fd-fra-eng]: -able -able; -ible