can | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

613 entries found.

"that can be surrendered or given up," 1610s; from obsolete alien (v.), for which see alienate, + -able. Related: Alienability.

variable (n.)

"quantity that can vary in value," 1816, from variable (adj.) in mathematical sense of "quantitatively indeterminate" (1710). Related: Variably; variability.

lubricant (n.)

"material that can reduce friction in rubbing surfaces," 1828, probably from lubricant (adj.), or else from Latin lubricantem.

mouthful (n.)

early 15c., "as much as a mouth can hold," from mouth (n.) + -ful. Meaning "a lot to say" is from 1748.

interwork (v.)

c. 1600, a hybrid from inter- "between" + work (v.). Related: interworking. Past tense can be either interworked or interwrought.

hull (v.)

"to remove the husk of," early 15c., from hull (n.1). Related: Hulled, which can mean both "having a particular kind of hull" and "stripped of the hull."

interpretable (adj.)

1610s, from Late Latin interpretabilis "that can be explained or translated," from Latin interpretari "explain, expound, understand" (see interpret).

portable (adj.)

"capable of being carried from place to place," early 15c., from French portable "that can be carried," from Late Latin portabilis "that can be carried," from Latin portare "to carry" (from PIE root *per- (2) "to lead, pass over"). An earlier word for "designed to be carried from place to place" was portatif (late 14c.), from Old French. Related: Portability.

fallible (adj.)

early 15c., from Medieval Latin fallibilis "liable to err, deceitful," literally "that can be deceived," from Latin fallere "deceive" (see fail (v.)).

incalculable (adj.)

"incapable of being reckoned," 1772, from in- (1) "not, opposite of" + calculable "that can be counted" (see calculate). Related: Incalculably; incalculability.

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