abusableadj.
/əˈbjuːzəbl/, U.S. /əˈbjuzəb(ə)l/ 1. Capable of being abused or misused; in later use frequently of alcohol, narcotics, etc.In quot. 1660: liable to be deceived; unreliable.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > contempt > disapproval > invective or abuse > [adjective] > abused > capable of being
abusable1655
1655 Chymical, Medicinal, & Chyrurg. Addr. 148 The same Reason..would justifie the concealment of all other secrets;..neither is there any of them that is not abusable.
1660 H. More Let. 5 June in Conway Lett. (1992) iii. 164 A man's affections are thus abusable that I am often in a doubt, whether it be better to light on a person that seems worth a mans entirely loving.
1668 H. More Divine Dialogues iii. xxxix. 558 Whose humor is to abuse in me whatever is or is not abuseable.
1788 Parl. Reg. 1781–96 XXIII. 465 The bill went to create a Board of Commissioners to be invested with inordinate and most abuseable powers.
1826 Edinb. Rev. Sept. 445 What an..abusable power is this to confide to any body of men!
1862 Proc. Internat. Temperance & Prohibition Convent. v. 257 Alcohol is non-usable, and hence only abusable.
1892 Sat. Rev. 4 June 641/1 The venerable but abusable principle of grievance first, Supply afterwards.
1904 G. B. Shaw Common Sense of Munic. Trading ix. 86 Readjusting the burden of the rates by an obviously abusable method.
1917 W. W. Billson Equity in Relations to Common Law viii. 186 Equity was driven to substitute for her early idea..a new and less abusable and more workable conception.
1970 Virginia Law Rev. 56 1156 The Commission classified drugs as dangerous, abusable and restricted on the basis of their potential for harm.
1971 N.Y. Mag. 5 July 50/1 All of us abusable and abused theatergoers and taxpayers must share the stigma.
2008 Independent 7 Oct. (Life section) 13/2 In the US there are systems to administer some abusable drugs..to registered users.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > deceit, deception, trickery > [adjective] > deceptive, misleading
swikelc1000
fellc1300
deceivable1303
falselya1350
blind1393
deceivant1393
fallacec1400
sinister1411
deceivousa1425
deceitful1483
fallacious1509
deceiving?a1513
falsesome1533
sophistical1558
misconceited1595
deceptive1611
abusable1660
self-deceptive1810
flambuginous1813
false1842
funny1903
mamaguy1973
braidie-
1660 H. More Explan. Grand Myst. Godliness To Rdr. §28. p. xxvi As for that abusable Opinion of Imputative Righteousness..I have shewn my dissatisfaction touching that point.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2011; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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adj.1655