5  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  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.] 
 
  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)  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. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Able  \A"ble\,  v.  t.  [See  {Able},  a.]  [Obs.] 
  1.  To  make  able;  to  enable;  to  strengthen.  --Chaucer. 
 
  2.  To  vouch  for  ``I  'll  able  them.''  --Shak. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  -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. 
 
  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. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [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:  {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-bodied}] 
 
  From  The  Free  On-line  Dictionary  of  Computing  (13  Mar  01)  [foldoc]: 
 
  ABLE 
 
    A  simple  language  for  accountants. 
 
  ["ABLE,  The  Accounting  Language,  Programming  and  Reference 
  Manual,"  Evansville  Data  Proc  Center,  Evansville,  IN  Mar 
  1975]. 
 
  [Listed  in  SIGPLAN  Notices  13(11):56  (Nov  1978)]. 
 
  (1994-11-08) 
 
 

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