levigable

English

Adjective

levigable (not comparable)

1. Capable of being levigated. (any sense)
   • 1670, John Evelyn, Sylva, Or a Discourse of Forest-trees, and the Propagation of Timber in His Majesties Dominions:

     Besides the Perrys, dri'd and preserv'd Fruit, useful is the Pear-Tree (and best the most barren, or Pig-taile, as they call it, which is the Wild Pyraster) for its excellent colour'd Timber, hard and levigable (seldom or not ordinarily worm-eaten) especially for Stools, Tables , Chairs, Pistol-Stocks, Instrument-Maker, Cabinets, and very many works of the Joyner, (who can make it easily to counterfeit Ebony) and Sculptor, either for flat, or emboss'd-Works, and to Engrave upon, because the Grain intercepts not the Tool.

   • 1823, J.J. Conybeare, “Article VI: Some Account of Maier's Symbola Aureae Mensae Duodecim Nationum”, in Annals of Philosophy, volume 22, page 429:

     Can he mean that there is but one substance which fulfils these two conditions of being levigable, and fusible without evaporation?

   • 1850, Robert Browning, Christmas-Eve and Easter-Day:

     And how when the Critic had done his best, And the Pearl of Price, at reason's test, Lay dust and ashes levigable On the Professor's lecture-table;

   • 2020, Moncure D. Conway, The Mythology of the Devil:

     Hereditary conscience, passing through this fierce crucible, lay levigable before Goethe, to be swept away into dust-hole or moulded into the image of reason.

Anagrams

• gelivable