| 释义 |
palpable, a. (adv.)|ˈpælpəb(ə)l|
Also 6 -abil, -yble.
[ad. late L. palpābilis (Orosius), f. palpāre: see palp v. and -able. Cf. F. palpable (14–15th c. in Hatz.-Darm.).]
A. adj.
1. a. That can be touched, felt, or handled; apprehensible by the sense of touch; tangible, sensible.
palpable darkness (tenebræ tam densæ ut palpari queant, ‘darkness which may be felt’ Exod. x. 21), thick, gross, utter darkness (a strong figure of speech). In palpable hit, the orig. physical sense often passes into sense 2.
c1384Chaucer H. Fame ii. 361 That he may shake hem be the biles, So palpable they shulden be. c1450Mirour Saluacioun 4355 Ferefulst derknesse palpable. 1558Bp. Watson Sev. Sacram. vii. 39 The Sacrament, signifieth and representeth the same visible, mortall, and palpable bodye of Christe vpon the crosse. 1600Holland Livy x. xxxii. 375 There chanced to be a foggie mist, which continued a good part of the day, so thick and palpable, as men could not see before them. 1602Shakes. Ham. v. ii. 292 A hit, a very palpable hit. a1633Austin Medit. (1635) 59 Such an Object as shall bee palpable now as well as Visible; flesh of our flesh. 1786tr. Beckford's Vathek 42 For two whole hours, a palpable darkness prevailed. 1799G. Smith Laboratory I. 9 Nealed and beaten to a palpable powder. 1860Tyndall Glac. i. ii. 18 The stones were palpable enough, carried down by the cataract.
b. Med. Perceptible by palpation.
1897Allbutt's Syst. Med. II. 769 The spleen was not palpable. Ibid. IV. 108 The edge of the liver being palpable. 1974Nature 22 Mar. 344/2 At 72 and 96 h the lesions were smaller but still palpable.
2. transf. Readily perceived by some one of the other senses, as the sight, hearing, etc.; perceptible; plainly observable, noticeable, patent.
c1430Lydg. Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 206 Merciful Leonard! gracious and benigne! Shew to thy servauntis som palpable sygne. c1450Lydg. & Burgh Secrees 2568 Evident toknys and signes palpable, Of a fool nyce and varyable. 1659–60Pepys Diary 6 Jan., Dinner..was very good; only the venison pasty was palpable beef, which was not handsome. 1664Power Exp. Philos. i. 82 [Eyes of spiders] which indeed are so palpable that they are clearly to be seen by any man that wants not his own. 1766Fordyce Serm. Yng. Wom. (1767) I. vi. 236 What is dancing..but the harmony of motion rendered more palpable? 1819Byron Juan ii. xcvii, For shore it was, and gradually grew Distinct, and high, and palpable to view. 1880M. E. Braddon Barbara xxvi. 199 ‘Head's very hot’, said the surgeon, a fact also painfully palpable to the patient.
3. fig. Easily perceived; open to recognition; plain, evident, apparent, obvious, manifest.
1545Joye Exp. Dan. iv. 61 b, In stormes and derkenes of errours more palpable then in the seruitute of egypt. 1576Fleming Panopl. Epist. 281 The ignoraunce of the world is grosse and palpable. 1597Hooker Eccl. Pol. v. lxv. §15 Opinions of palpable idolatrie. 1612Brinsley Lud. Lit. xx. (1627) 227 Keeping all in palpable ignorance to be drawne to dumb Idols. 1791Cowper Odyss. xiv. 440 Should'st thou invent Palpable falsehoods? 1864Bowen Logic ix. 295 A Circle so palpable as this would, indeed, be committed by no one. 1867Freeman Norm. Conq. I. vi. 559 Rejecting palpable fables and contradictions.
†B. as adv. = palpably. Obs.
1585T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. Ep. Ded., To exclude olde men..[is] palpable erronious. 1607Schol. Disc. agst. Antichr. i. ii. 83 Those who..see them daily with our eyes,..yea..feele them palpable with our hands. |