ponderable en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˈpɒndɹəbəl/
- (US) audio
- /ˈpɒndəɹəbəl/
Etymology
Etymology tree English ponder Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlom Proto-Italic *-ðlom Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English ponderable From ponder + -able.
Meanings
-
Having a detectable amount of matter; having a measurable mass.
[T]he imponderability of heat did not appear to the philosophers of the eighteenth century to be a sufficient reason for excluding it from the list of chemical elements; and... there was... doubt... whether caloric was ponderable or not.
1910, E. T. Whittaker, A History of the Theories of Aether and Electricity, Dublin University Press, published 1910, page 35:
- Worthy of note; significant, interesting.
-
(rare) Heavy; ponderous.
The very mother's head you swore by in the dock is a heavier head, crowned with ponderable hair.
1936, Djuna Barnes, Nightwood, Faber & Faber, published 2007, page 77:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more ponderable | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most ponderable | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Deriveds
ponderably · ponderability · ponderableness · imponderable
Relateds
Synonyms
weighty (heavy, ponderous) · massive (having mass) · eminent (worthy of note) · hefty (heavy, ponderous) · massive (heavy, ponderous) · noteworthy