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labile - 6 dictionary results

la⋅bile

  [ley-buhl, -bahyl]
Use labile in a Sentence
–adjective
1. apt or likely to change.
2. Chemistry. (of a compound) capable of changing state or becoming inactive when subjected to heat or radiation.
Origin:
1400–50; late ME labyl < LL lābilis, equiv. to L lāb(ī) to slip + -ilis -ile

Related forms:
la⋅bil⋅i⋅ty  [luh-bil-i-tee, ley-] , noun

me⋅ta⋅sta⋅ble

  [met-uh-stey-buhl, met-uh-stey-]
–adjective
1. Metallurgy. chemically unstable in the absence of certain conditions that would induce stability, but not liable to spontaneous transformation.
2. Also, labile. Physics, Chemistry. pertaining to a body or system existing at an energy level (metastable state) above that of a more stable state and requiring the addition of a small amount of energy to induce a transition to the more stable state.
Origin:
1895–1900; meta- + stable 2

Related forms:
met⋅a⋅sta⋅bil⋅i⋅ty  [met-uh-stuh-bil-i-tee] , noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To labile
la·bile   (lā'bīl', -bəl)   
adj.  
  1. Open to change; adaptable: an emotionally labile person.
  2. Chemistry Constantly undergoing or likely to undergo change; unstable: a labile compound.

[Middle English labil, forgetful, wandering, from Old French labile, from Late Latin lābilis, apt to slip, from lābī, to slip.]
la·bil'i·ty (-bĭl'ĭ-tē) n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Labile

La"bile\, a. [L. labilis apt to slip, fr. labi to slip.] Liable to slip, err, fall, or apostatize. [Obs.] --Cheyne.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Main Entry: la·bile
Pronunciation: 'lA-"bIl, -b&l
Function: adjective
: readily or frequently changing: as a : readily orcontinually undergoing chemical, physical, or biological change or breakdown labile antigen> b : characterized by wide fluctuations (as in blood pressure or glucosetolerance) <labile hypertension> <labile diabetes> c : emotionally unstable —la·bil·i·ty /lA-'bil-&t-E/ noun plural -ties
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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labile la·bile (lā'bīl', -bəl)
adj.
Constantly undergoing or likely to undergo change; unstable.

la·bil'i·ty (-bĭl'ĭ-tē) n.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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