Coatable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. A material suitable for being covered with an exterior layer, making it appropriate for protective or aesthetic treatments
2. Referring to any item capable of having a coating applied, enhancing its functionality or appearance
3. Capable of having a surface layer applied to improve protection or appearance

Etymology: "Coatable" is about as transparent as English word-building gets: it is "coat" with the suffix "-able" attached, so it means "able to be coated." The suffix comes from Latin "-abilis," which English took in through Old French, where it attached to verb stems to mean "capable of being" whatever the verb described. Attaching it to a noun such as "coat" is a looser, later extension of that pattern. The base word has a more tangled past. "Coat" came into English from Old French "cote," a garment worn over the body, and the French word itself was probably of Germanic origin. English gradually stretched "coat" from clothing to any outer layer, such as the fur of an animal or the thin film of paint on a wall. "Coatable" follows that broader sense, so the adjective covers anything that can take a layer of paint, varnish, or protective material.

Synonyms: coverable, paintable

Antonyms: exposed