able

[O. Fr. habile; Norm. ablez, hable, habler to enable: fr. Lat. habilis = that may be easily handled; habeo = to have or hold.] I. Old Fng. & Scotch (in the etymological sense): Fit, proper. James Erle of Mortoun his guidschir, and thereby maist able to succeed to him. -Acts James VI ., 1581. *IL. Liable, in danger of. "Finding yourself able to droone, ye wold pre is agane to the boit."-Bannutyne: Trans., p. 159. III. Having sufficient physical, mental, moral, or spiritual power, or acquired skill, or sufficient pecuniary and other resources to do something indicated. "I have wounded them, that they were not able to rise." Ps. xviii. 38. 28 "And no man was able to answer him a word." Matt . xxiii. 46. "God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able ."-1 Cor. x. 13. "... able to read."-Statesman's Year Book (1873). "Every man shall give as he is able ."- Deut . xvi 17. An able man: A man of intellect. "Pepys, the ablest man in the English Admiralty." -Macaulay: Hist . Eng ., ch. iii. Rarely of things: Sufficient, enough. their gold shall not be able to deliver them." Ezek. vii. 19 IV. Having legal permi ion, or po e ed of legal competence, to do anything stated. able-bodied, a . 1. Having a body sufficiently strong to permit of one's doing an average amount of manual labour. "For the able -bodied vagrant, it is well known that the old English laws had no mercy."-Froude: Hist. Eng . , ch. i. 2. Naut .: Applied to a sailor po e ing some experience of the work on shipboard. Often contracted into A.B. (q.v.).