adorable
/əˈdɔːɹəbəl/uh-DAW-ruh-buhl
/əˈdɔɹəbəl/uh-DAW-ruh-buhl
Meaningable to be adored
Common meaning: charming and lovable
- adto, towards
- orto speak, pray; the mouthLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 1280 · scan
- ableable to be
‘to, towards’ + ‘to speak, pray’ → adorable
Journey through time
- Latinōrō; ōs, ōris‘to speak, pray’
- Middle Englishadourensource
- Englishadore‘to love deeply’
- Englishformed in English from adoreadorable‘charming and lovable’ · today
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Formed in English from adore + -able.
Dictionary: Skeat (1898), ADORE, p.9 · scan
Roots
- ōrō; ōs, ōris Latin “to speak, pray; the mouth”
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