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Definition of palpable - 6 dictionary results

pal⋅pa⋅ble

[pal-puh-buhl]
–adjective
1. readily or plainly seen, heard, perceived, etc.; obvious; evident: a palpable lie; palpable absurdity.
2. capable of being touched or felt; tangible.
3. Medicine/Medical. perceptible by palpation.

Origin:
1350–1400; ME < LL palpābilis that can be touched, equiv. to palpā(re) to stroke, touch, palpate 1 + -bilis -ble


pal⋅pa⋅bil⋅i⋅ty, pal⋅pa⋅ble⋅ness, noun
pal⋅pa⋅bly, adverb


1. manifest, plain. 2. material, corporeal.


1. obscure.
pal·pa·ble   (pāl'pə-bəl)   
adj.  
  1. Capable of being handled, touched, or felt; tangible: "Anger rushed out in a palpable wave through his arms and legs" (Herman Wouk).
  2. Easily perceived; obvious: "There was a palpable sense of expectation in the court" (Nelson DeMille). See Synonyms at perceptible.
  3. Medicine That can be felt by palpating: a palpable tumor.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Late Latin palpābilis, from Latin palpāre, to touch gently; see pāl- in Indo-European roots.]
pal'pa·bil'i·ty n., pal'pa·bly adv.

Palpable

Pal"pa*ble\, a. [F. palpable, L. palpabilis, fr. palpare to feel, stroke; cf. palpus the soft palm of the hand.]

1. Capable of being touched and felt; perceptible by the touch; as, a palpable form. --Shak.

Darkness must overshadow all his bounds, Palpable darkness. --Milton.

2. Easily perceptible; plain; distinct; obvious; readily perceived and detected; gross; as, palpable imposture; palpable absurdity; palpable errors. "Three persons palpable." --P. Plowman.

[Lies] gross as a mountain, open, palpable. --Shak. -- Pal"pa*ble*ness, n. -- Pal"pa*bly, adv.

palpable 
c.1384, "that can be touched," from L.L. palpabilis "that may be touched or felt," from L. palpare "touch gently, stroke" (see feel (v.)). Fig. sense of "easily perceived, evident" is from 1545.

Main Entry: pal·pa·ble
Pronunciation: 'pal-p&-b&l
Function: adjective
: capable of being touched or felt; especially : capable of being examined by palpation palpable —Journal of the American Medical Association>

palpable pal·pa·ble (pāl'pə-bəl)
n.

  1. Perceptible to touch; capable of being palpated.
  2. Evident; obvious.

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