dispensable
/dɪˈspensəbəl/dih-SPEN-suh-buhl
UK form converted from the US by rule · unchecked/dɪˈspɛnsəbəl/dih-SPEN-suh-buhl
Meaningthat one can dispense with
Common meaning: not essential
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- disapart, away; not
- pensto weigh; to hangLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 1328 · scan
- ableable to be
‘apart, away’ + ‘to weigh’ → dispensable
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 dispense + -able.
Dictionary: Skeat (1898), DISPENSE, p.171 · scan
Roots
- pendō; pendeō Latin “to weigh; to hang”
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