Fatigabilis

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. A term describing the quality or state of being able to become tired or exhausted through prolonged exertion
2. Referring to the characteristic of being subject to fatigue under certain conditions or efforts
3. Indicating the capacity for weariness or reduction in energy as a result of continuous activity

Etymology: "Fatigabilis" is a Late Latin adjective built from the verb "fatigare," meaning "to tire out, weary, harass," plus the suffix "-bilis," which marks capability or susceptibility, as in English "-ble." So the word literally means "able to be tired" or "tiresome to the point of being wearied." The root "fatigare" is itself a derivative of "fatiscere," "to grow weary or gape open," which is related to the idea of something giving way under strain. The English word "fatigable," and its near-synonym "fatigueable," come from this Latin base. The adjective is used mainly in physiology and medicine to describe muscles, nerves or people who lose strength quickly with repeated effort, a sense that echoes the Latin's concrete notion of wearing down under load. Its English use is largely technical, and the word appears far less often than "fatigued" or "tired."

Synonyms: fatigable, tiring

Antonyms: indefatigable, tireless