imponderableadj.n.

/ɪmˈpɒndərəb(ə)l/

Etymology: < im- prefix² + ponderable adj. and n. (Compare French impondérable Dict. Acad. 1835.)

A. adj. Not ponderable.

a. (Frequently in Physics.) Having no weight; destitute of weight: applied formerly to light, heat, electricity, etc., regarded as material substances, and later to the ‘ether’ (ether n. 3a). Also figurative, incalculable, unthinkable.

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > properties of materials > lightness > [adjective] > having no weight

imponderous1646

imponderable1794

1794 G. Adams Lect. Nat. & Exper. Philos. I. x. 440 Phlogiston, a substance as imponderable as fire.

1822 T. Webster Imison's Elem. Sci. & Art (new ed.) II. 33 Light..is reckoned among the imponderable bodies.

1851 H. Mayo On Truths Pop. Superstit. (ed. 2) 70 Mind, like electricity, is an imponderable force.

1854 R. W. Emerson Poetry & Imag. in Wks. (1906) III. 146 The invisible and imponderable is the sole fact.

figurative.1814 R. Southey Roderick xxi. 192 Creeds like colours being by accident are therefore in the scale imponderable.1959 Manch. Guardian 29 Jan. 5/5 It is not so much the calculable cost but the possible, imponderable one if things go wrong.

b. Having no appreciable weight; of extremely small weight or amount.

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > properties of materials > lightness > [adjective] > extremely

weightlessa1547

peiseless1608

imponderable1846

imponderous1851

ultralight1974

1846 G. E. Day tr. J. F. Simon Animal Chem. II. 23 The bile-pigment in healthy bile is imponderable.

1963 D. W. Humphries & E. E. Humphries tr. H. Termier & G. Termier Erosion & Sedimentation x. 194 They [sc. stratification joints] seem to result from those ‘imponderable’ particles..which remain in suspension.

B. n.

An imponderable substance or agent. Now chiefly figurative in sense ‘something that cannot be estimated’.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > unintelligibility > [noun] > instance of

lock1563

incomprehensibility1651

inscrutables1665

incomprehensible1678

inconceivable1706

I know not what1711

unknowable1725

unsearchable1725

indefinable1810

a sealed book1814

unknowable1816

unintelligible1838

inconceivability1851

imponderable1855

inscrutablenessa1864

unfathomability1867

unthinkable1871

closed book1913

intangible1914

imponderabilia1925

generation gap1962

the mind > attention and judgement > judgement or decision > evaluation, estimation, appraisal > [noun] > something incalculable

imponderable1855

the world > existence and causation > existence > materiality > immateriality > [noun] > immaterial or incorporeal thing

spiritual1495

incorporate?1533

immateriality1648

insensible1656

incorporal1678

incorporeity1743

imponderable1855

intangible1914

non-object1914

1855 W. R. Grove On Correlation Physical Forces (ed. 3) 131 If it be admitted that one of the so-called imponderables is a mode of motion.

1858 O. W. Holmes Autocrat of Breakfast-table vi. 156 It is the imponderables that move the world,—heat, electricity, love.

1866 Duke of Argyll Reign of Law iii. 158 Nothing which our scales can measure is lost when the ‘vital force’ is gone. It is The Great Imponderable.

1927 Sunday Express 22 May 12/4 It is not always possible to show gratitude by a gift... If we wish to keep ourselves free from the dreadful disease of ingratitude we should strive to remember these imponderables of life.

1938 S. Beckett Murphy 20 Murphy's respect for the imponderables of personality was profound.

1952 M. McCarthy Groves of Academe (1953) vi. 110 ‘Fitness to teach’ was an imponderable which he had no intention of pretending to weigh.

1960 Times 24 Oct. (Financial Review) p. xvii/5 Here the largest imponderable is first whether sufficient wool can be produced to meet the demand and secondly the challenge of synthetics.

1963 D. W. Humphries & E. E. Humphries tr. H. Termier & G. Termier Erosion & Sedimentation xviii. 355 He [sc. A. Lombard] distinguishes between the ‘imponderables’ which are the salts in process of precipitation,..and the ‘ponderables’ which sink rather quickly.

1964 M. Gowing Brit. & Atomic Energy 1939–45 ix. 267 The British contribution was largely made up of imponderables.

1969 Times 17 Oct. 10/4 (heading) Farm imponderables in calculating cost of entry to Europe.

Derivatives

imˈponderableness n.

ΚΠ

1847 J. Craig New Universal Dict. Imponderableness, the state of being imponderable.

imˈponderably adv. without any weight.

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > properties of materials > lightness > [adverb] > without weight

imponderably1890

1890 Lippincott's Monthly Mag. May 675 He saw her in that filmy light, imponderably poised.

This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1899; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

单词	imponderable
释义	imponderableadj.n. /ɪmˈpɒndərəb(ə)l/ Etymology: < im- prefix² + ponderable adj. and n. (Compare French impondérable Dict. Acad. 1835.) A. adj. Not ponderable. a. (Frequently in Physics.) Having no weight; destitute of weight: applied formerly to light, heat, electricity, etc., regarded as material substances, and later to the ‘ether’ (ether n. 3a). Also figurative, incalculable, unthinkable. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > properties of materials > lightness > [adjective] > having no weight imponderous1646 imponderable1794 1794 G. Adams Lect. Nat. & Exper. Philos. I. x. 440 Phlogiston, a substance as imponderable as fire. 1822 T. Webster Imison's Elem. Sci. & Art (new ed.) II. 33 Light..is reckoned among the imponderable bodies. 1851 H. Mayo On Truths Pop. Superstit. (ed. 2) 70 Mind, like electricity, is an imponderable force. 1854 R. W. Emerson Poetry & Imag. in Wks. (1906) III. 146 The invisible and imponderable is the sole fact. figurative.1814 R. Southey Roderick xxi. 192 Creeds like colours being by accident are therefore in the scale imponderable.1959 Manch. Guardian 29 Jan. 5/5 It is not so much the calculable cost but the possible, imponderable one if things go wrong. b. Having no appreciable weight; of extremely small weight or amount. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > properties of materials > lightness > [adjective] > extremely weightlessa1547 peiseless1608 imponderable1846 imponderous1851 ultralight1974 1846 G. E. Day tr. J. F. Simon Animal Chem. II. 23 The bile-pigment in healthy bile is imponderable. 1963 D. W. Humphries & E. E. Humphries tr. H. Termier & G. Termier Erosion & Sedimentation x. 194 They [sc. stratification joints] seem to result from those ‘imponderable’ particles..which remain in suspension. B. n. An imponderable substance or agent. Now chiefly figurative in sense ‘something that cannot be estimated’. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > unintelligibility > [noun] > instance of lock1563 incomprehensibility1651 inscrutables1665 incomprehensible1678 inconceivable1706 I know not what1711 unknowable1725 unsearchable1725 indefinable1810 a sealed book1814 unknowable1816 unintelligible1838 inconceivability1851 imponderable1855 inscrutablenessa1864 unfathomability1867 unthinkable1871 closed book1913 intangible1914 imponderabilia1925 generation gap1962 the mind > attention and judgement > judgement or decision > evaluation, estimation, appraisal > [noun] > something incalculable imponderable1855 the world > existence and causation > existence > materiality > immateriality > [noun] > immaterial or incorporeal thing spiritual1495 incorporate?1533 immateriality1648 insensible1656 incorporal1678 incorporeity1743 imponderable1855 intangible1914 non-object1914 1855 W. R. Grove On Correlation Physical Forces (ed. 3) 131 If it be admitted that one of the so-called imponderables is a mode of motion. 1858 O. W. Holmes Autocrat of Breakfast-table vi. 156 It is the imponderables that move the world,—heat, electricity, love. 1866 Duke of Argyll Reign of Law iii. 158 Nothing which our scales can measure is lost when the ‘vital force’ is gone. It is The Great Imponderable. 1927 Sunday Express 22 May 12/4 It is not always possible to show gratitude by a gift... If we wish to keep ourselves free from the dreadful disease of ingratitude we should strive to remember these imponderables of life. 1938 S. Beckett Murphy 20 Murphy's respect for the imponderables of personality was profound. 1952 M. McCarthy Groves of Academe (1953) vi. 110 ‘Fitness to teach’ was an imponderable which he had no intention of pretending to weigh. 1960 Times 24 Oct. (Financial Review) p. xvii/5 Here the largest imponderable is first whether sufficient wool can be produced to meet the demand and secondly the challenge of synthetics. 1963 D. W. Humphries & E. E. Humphries tr. H. Termier & G. Termier Erosion & Sedimentation xviii. 355 He [sc. A. Lombard] distinguishes between the ‘imponderables’ which are the salts in process of precipitation,..and the ‘ponderables’ which sink rather quickly. 1964 M. Gowing Brit. & Atomic Energy 1939–45 ix. 267 The British contribution was largely made up of imponderables. 1969 Times 17 Oct. 10/4 (heading) Farm imponderables in calculating cost of entry to Europe. Derivatives imˈponderableness n. ΚΠ 1847 J. Craig New Universal Dict. Imponderableness, the state of being imponderable. imˈponderably adv. without any weight. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > properties of materials > lightness > [adverb] > without weight imponderably1890 1890 Lippincott's Monthly Mag. May 675 He saw her in that filmy light, imponderably poised. This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1899; most recently modified version published online March 2022). < adj.n.1794
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