potable

adj, noun — 2 senses

potable

adj

UK /ˈpəʊtəbəl/ · US /ˈpoʊtəbəl/

Etymology

The adjective is derived from Late Middle English potable (“drinkable, potable”), from Middle French, Old French potable (modern French potable (“drinkable, potable”)), and from its etymon Late Latin pōtābilis (“drinkable, potable”), from Latin pōtāre (“to drink”) + -bilis (suffix forming adjectives indicating a capacity or worth of being acted upon). Pōtāre is the present active infinitive of pōtō (“to drink”), from Proto-Italic *pōtos, from Proto-Indo-European *peh₃- (“to drink”). The English word is cognate with Catalan potable, Italian potabile, Spanish potable. The noun is derived from the adjective.

1

Formal Good for drinking without fear of waterborne disease or poisoning.

  • potable water
  • The water from this river should not be considered potable without disinfection: you may be OK if you drink it raw, but you're gambling if you do so.
Derived terms
impotable, nonpotable, potability, potabilize, potable gold, potableness, unpotable
Related terms
drinking water, tap water

potable

noun
Etymology

The adjective is derived from Late Middle English potable (“drinkable, potable”), from Middle French, Old French potable (modern French potable (“drinkable, potable”)), and from its etymon Late Latin pōtābilis (“drinkable, potable”), from Latin pōtāre (“to drink”) + -bilis (suffix forming adjectives indicating a capacity or worth of being acted upon). Pōtāre is the present active infinitive of pōtō (“to drink”), from Proto-Italic *pōtos, from Proto-Indo-European *peh₃- (“to drink”). The English word is cognate with Catalan potable, Italian potabile, Spanish potable. The noun is derived from the adjective.

1

Any drinkable liquid; a beverage.

  • When solar beams / Parch thirsty human veins, the damask'd meads, / Unforc'd display ten thousand painted flow'rs / Useful in potables.1708, [John Philips], “(please specify the page)”, in Cyder. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], →OCLC:
Derived terms
potent potable

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.