1. [adj]  (usually followed by `to') having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something; "able to swim"; "she was able to program her computer"; "we were at last able to buy a car"; "able to get a grant for the project"
2. [adj]  having inherent physical or mental ability or capacity; "able to learn"; "human beings are able to walk on two feet"; "Superman is able to leap tall buildings"
3. [adj]  have the skills and qualifications to do things well; "able teachers"; "a capable administrator"; "children as young as 14 can be extremely capable and dependable"
4. [adj]  having a strong healthy body; "an able seaman"; "every able-bodied young man served in the army"

1. \A"ble\, a. [Comp. {Abler}; superl. {Ablest}.] [OF. habile,
   L. habilis that may be easily held or managed, apt, skillful,
   fr. habere to have, hold. Cf. {Habile} and see {Habit}.]
   1. Fit; adapted; suitable. [Obs.]
            A many man, to ben an abbot able.     --Chaucer.
   2. Having sufficient power, strength, force, skill, means, or
      resources of any kind to accomplish the object; possessed
      of qualifications rendering competent for some end;
      competent; qualified; capable; as, an able workman,
      soldier, seaman, a man able to work; a mind able to
      reason; a person able to be generous; able to endure pain;
      able to play on a piano.
   3. Specially: Having intellectual qualifications, or strong
      mental powers; showing ability or skill; talented; clever;
      powerful; as, the ablest man in the senate; an able
      speech.
            No man wrote abler state papers.      --Macaulay.
   4. (Law) Legally qualified; possessed of legal competence;
      as, able to inherit or devise property.
   Note:
   {Able for}, is Scotticism. ``Hardly able for such a march.''
      --Robertson.
   Syn: Competent; qualified; fitted; efficient; effective;
        capable; skillful; clever; vigorous; powerful.
   

2. \A"ble\, v. t. [See {Able}, a.] [Obs.]
   1. To make able; to enable; to strengthen. --Chaucer.
   2. To vouch for. ``I 'll able them.'' --Shak.
   

3. \-a*ble\ (-[.a]*b'l). [F. -able, L. -abilis.]
   An adjective suffix now usually in a passive sense; able to
   be; fit to be; expressing capacity or worthiness in a passive
   sense; as, movable, able to be moved; amendable, able to be
   amended; blamable, fit to be blamed; salable.
   Note: The form {-ible} is used in the same sense.
   Note: It is difficult to say when we are not to use -able
         instead of -ible. ``Yet a rule may be laid down as to
         when we are to use it. To all verbs, then, from the
         Anglo-Saxon, to all based on the uncorrupted
         infinitival stems of Latin verbs of the first
         conjugation, and to all substantives, whencesoever
         sprung, we annex -able only.'' --Fitzed. Hall.
   

A simple language for accountants.

["ABLE, The Accounting Language, Programming and Reference Manual," Evansville Data Proc Center, Evansville, IN, Mar 1975].

[Listed in SIGPLAN Notices 13(11):56 (Nov 1978)].