playableadj.
/ˈpleɪəbl/, U.S. /ˈpleɪəb(ə)l/ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > entertainment > playfulness > [adjective]
gamingOE
playfulc1225
gamefulc1275
gamelya1350
gamesomea1375
playable?c1475
frisky?a1500
sporting1549
sportful1577
toyish1577
toyful1580
sportive1593
gambol1600
sportly1600
sporting1607
playsome1612
jiggish1635
toysome1638
ludible1656
ludibund1668
good-humoured1682
flippant1711
lusory1711
gamp1737
kittenish1753
sportable1767
disportive1773
whisky1782
playward1878
?c1475 Catholicon Anglicum (BL Add. 15562) f. 96 v Playabyll, ludibundus, ludicris, ludider [read ludicer], ludibilis.
2.
a. Capable of being played; easy or enjoyable to play.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > music > musical instrument > [adjective] > playable
playable1725
society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > drama > a play > [adjective] > qualities of play
unproduceable1704
playable1725
unproduciblea1760
undramatic1769
unplayable1806
unactable1810
actable1825
blue fire1826
undramatical1829
actor-proof1893
nailed-up1894
talky1937
society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > drama > part or character > [adjective] > capable of being played (of part)
playable1725
society > leisure > sport > [adjective]
sportly1600
sporting1713
playable1873
1725 J. F. de la Fond New Syst. Music ii. 85 These Twelve Notes are neither singable nor playable gradually.
1798 Argus. Greenleaf's New Daily Advertiser (N.Y.) 27 Dec. The touch so easy as to be playable by a child.
1860 C. Reade Eighth Commandment 30 There were passages in ‘Le Château Grantier’ not playable in England.
1873 J. Bennett & ‘Cavendish’ Billiards 480 Any ball or balls behind the baulk-line,..are not playable if the striker be in baulk.
1898 Daily News 5 May 5/2 The maestro laid the instrument down with an evident air of contempt, but he declared it to be playable.
1937 Partisan Rev. Dec. 54 The play Mr. Hecht wrote..was infinitely more..playable..than the play the Guild produced.
1975 Listener 16 Oct. 511/3 Pierre Boulez was heard to remark..that he would be writing more playable music in future.
1990 CU Amiga Apr. 65/3 Are the graphics as good? Are they as playable as SQ3?
b. Sport. Of a pitch, court, etc.: fit for playing on.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > sport > place for sports or games > [adjective] > fit for playing on
playable1872
1872 Daily News 15 July 2/2 The play did not commence..until half-past 11, when the ground was rendered ‘playable’ by the copious use of sawdust.
1881 Sportsman 31 Jan. 4/5 Football at Oxford..the ground will hardly be playable until the end of this week.
1909 Westm. Gaz. 8 Sept. 5/2 The ground is playable even after a considerable amount of rain, and the surface remains true and the bound of the ball certain.
1951 Sport 30 Mar. 9/2 In spite of this outlay, it has been less playable than ever during the period of mid-season stress.
1985 Abingdon Herald 21 Feb. 24/3 They spent nearly two days getting the pitch into a playable condition.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2006; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.?c1475