come-at-ableadj.

Brit.

/kʌmˈatəbl/, U.S.

/ˌkəmˈædəbəl/

Forms: 1600s– come-at-able, 1700s–1800s come-atable, 1700s–1800s comeatable.

Origin: Formed within English, by derivation. Etymons: English come at , -able suffix.

Etymology: < come at (see to come at —— at come v. Phrasal verbs 2) + -able suffix. Compare later get-at-able adj.

Now rare.

Able to be come at or reached; accessible, attainable, obtainable.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > possession > acquisition > [adjective] > obtained or acquired > able to be

procurablec1449

purveyable1542

gettable1553

extant1555

parable1563

acquirable1606

gainable1611

purchasable1611

obtainablea1617

acquisitive1629

haveable1639

producible1640

come-at-able?1685

derivablea1711

attainable1712

embraceable1841

graspable1868

securable1876

the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > movement towards a thing, person, or position > [adjective] > affording access > accessible

accessiblea1425

approachable?a1560

adible1568

reachable1600

accessive1611

come-at-able?1685

get-at-able1799

frequentable1843

attainable1856

?1685 T. Tryon Good House-wife xix. 150 A dear Drink, and therefore not Come-at-able by the middle or meaner sort of People.

1708 C. Cibber Lady's Last Stake i. 2 Pleasures that were a little more comeatable.

1769 Lloyd's Evening Post 11 Sept. 254/2 Butchers meat was scarcely comeatable.

1809 Naval Chron. 22 43 The come-at-able facts of Captain Smith's case.

1835 H. D. Inglis Channel Islands 245 Any of those come-atable documents.

1902 National Democrat (Jeffersonville, Indiana) 18 July 6/4 Exact figures are not come-at-able.

2013 Washington Post (Nexis) 21 July (Mag.) a29 You will be greeted and seated by young people who are not only come-at-able but savvy.

Derivatives

come-ˌat-aˈbility n. the state or quality of being come-at-able.

ΘΚΠ

the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > movement towards a thing, person, or position > [noun] > coming into the presence of or contact with > quality of being accessible

accessibleness1667

approachableness1731

accessibility1734

come-at-ability1760

come-at-ableness1837

get-at-ability1839

approachability1851

get-at-ableness1860

reachability1925

1760 L. Sterne Life Tristram Shandy II. vii. 53 The..com-at-ability, and convenience of all the parts.

1888 J. S. Tait National Banks & Govt. Circulation 16 The money she hoards is multiplied manifold by its comeatability; it can be removed from point to point to meet the demand.

1909 Illustr. London News 1 May (Supplement) p. iv/3 The sale-rooms..give them the advantage of easy access, but this come-at-ability must be regarded rather as the result of forethought in the proprietors.

come-ˈat-ableness n. = come-at-ability n.

ΘΚΠ