impassableadj.
/ɪmˈpɑːsəb(ə)l//ɪmˈpasəb(ə)l/ That cannot be passed.† 2. That cannot pass (away or through). Obsolete.
1. That cannot be passed along, through, or across; impossible to traverse or travel through.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > movement over, across, through, or past > [adjective] > that cannot be passed through or crossed
impassable1568
untranspassable1594
impertransible1677
society > travel > [adjective] > travelled on, over, or through > able to be > unable to be
ungoingable1482
unpassablea1525
unpassageable1592
passless1603
irrepassable1608
unpassible1646
untravellable1652
impracticable1653
impermeable1662
unvoyageable1667
impassable1697
landlocked1770
impervious1774
intraversable1803
unrideable1827
intransitable1838
untraversable1856
uncrossable1882
1568 T. North tr. A. de Guevara Diall Princes (1582) 446 A buckler or shield impassable.
1697 W. Dampier New Voy. around World vii. 167 All the Country..is full of impassible Woods.
1705 G. Stanhope Paraphr. III. 550 The impassable Gulf fixed between us and all Happiness.
1845 H. H. Wilson Hist. Brit. India 1805–35 I. vii. 453 It were most impolitic..to fix for ever impassable bounds to the public revenues.
1860 J. Tyndall Glaciers of Alps i. xii. 89 The glacier, though badly cut, was not impassable.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > movement over, across, through, or past > [adjective] > through > able to pass through > not
impassable1780
1780 M. Madan Thelyphthora II. 219 But the priesthood of Christ himself..is ἀπαράβατος, impassable from Him to any.
1832 Examiner 481/1 Bloated to a size as impassable through Heaven's gates, as is a camel through the needle's eye.
3. That cannot be ‘passed’ or made to pass. rare.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > money > circulation of money > [adjective] > capable of circulation > not
unpassable1664
impassable1865
1865–6 H. Phillips Amer. Paper Currency II. 28 To cut a hole in each bill..thereby to render them impassable.
1887 Pall Mall Gaz. 28 June 4/1 When a half a million gilt sixpences in circulation make half-sovereigns practically impassable.
Derivatives
imˈpassableness n.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > [noun] > ability to be travelled through or over > inability
unpassableness1645
impracticablenessa1715
impassableness1727
impracticability1766
impassability1772
imperviability1821
the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > movement over, across, through, or past > [noun] > inability to be passed through or crossed
impertransibilitya1676
impassableness1727
the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > movement over, across, through, or past > [noun] > through any medium or space > inability to be passed through
unthroughfareness1674
impertransibilitya1676
impassableness1727
1727 N. Bailey Universal Etymol. Eng. Dict. II Impassableness.
1790 P. Luckombe England's Gazetteer I. at Croyland No carts used to come here, by reason of the impassableness of the boggy soil.
1865 A. D. Whitney Gayworthys xxix. 295 God knows what impassableness between their two, suffering hearts.
imˈpassably adv.
ΚΠ
1828 N. Webster Amer. Dict. Eng. Lang. Impassably.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1899; most recently modified version published online March 2021).
<
adj.1568