eatable, edible

eatable, edible
These words, both in standard usage, have a shared meaning of "not poisonous or harmful," "fit to be eaten": "This food does not look appetizing, but it is eatable (or edible)." Edible is more formal and somewhat more refined than eatable, a word often used in the plural: "The sack contained a quantity of various eatables." Edible is preferable in a statement such as "These berries were once thought poisonous, but they are edible."

Dictionary of problem words and expressions. . 1975.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • eatable — eatable, edible Eatable means ‘fit to be eaten’ and is normally applied to food, whereas edible means ‘suitable for eating’ and is often contrasted with what is poisonous or harmful (e.g. edible mushrooms / edible snails) …   Modern English usage

  • edible — eatable, edible Eatable means ‘fit to be eaten’ and is normally applied to food, whereas edible means ‘suitable for eating’ and is often contrasted with what is poisonous or harmful (e.g. edible mushrooms / edible snails) …   Modern English usage

  • edible — See eatable. See eatable, edible …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

  • eatable — See eatable, edible …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

  • Edible — Ed i*ble, a. [L. edibilis, fr. edere to eat. See {Eat}.] Fit to be eaten as food; eatable; esculent; as, edible fishes. Bacon. n. Anything edible. [1913 Webster] {Edible bird s nest}. See {Bird s nest}, 2. {Edible crab} (Zo[ o]l.), any species of …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Edible bird's nest — Edible Ed i*ble, a. [L. edibilis, fr. edere to eat. See {Eat}.] Fit to be eaten as food; eatable; esculent; as, edible fishes. Bacon. n. Anything edible. [1913 Webster] {Edible bird s nest}. See {Bird s nest}, 2. {Edible crab} (Zo[ o]l.), any… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Edible crab — Edible Ed i*ble, a. [L. edibilis, fr. edere to eat. See {Eat}.] Fit to be eaten as food; eatable; esculent; as, edible fishes. Bacon. n. Anything edible. [1913 Webster] {Edible bird s nest}. See {Bird s nest}, 2. {Edible crab} (Zo[ o]l.), any… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Edible frog — Edible Ed i*ble, a. [L. edibilis, fr. edere to eat. See {Eat}.] Fit to be eaten as food; eatable; esculent; as, edible fishes. Bacon. n. Anything edible. [1913 Webster] {Edible bird s nest}. See {Bird s nest}, 2. {Edible crab} (Zo[ o]l.), any… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Edible snail — Edible Ed i*ble, a. [L. edibilis, fr. edere to eat. See {Eat}.] Fit to be eaten as food; eatable; esculent; as, edible fishes. Bacon. n. Anything edible. [1913 Webster] {Edible bird s nest}. See {Bird s nest}, 2. {Edible crab} (Zo[ o]l.), any… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Eatable — Eat a*ble ([=e]t [.a]*b l), a. Capable of being eaten; fit to be eaten; proper for food; esculent; edible. n. Something fit to be eaten. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”