Fishable

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈfɪʃəbəl/

Definitions

1. Able to be fished, indicating a location that contains aquatic species readily available for capture
2. Describing an environment conducive to fishing, signifying the presence of fish that can be successfully targeted
3. Suitable for catching fish, referring to areas where aquatic life can be effectively pursued for recreational or commercial purposes

Etymology: "Fishable" is a plain formation: the noun "fish" with the suffix "-able", meaning "able to be" or "capable of being" something. Here the suffix means that a body of water or stretch of land can be fished, so that fish are present and can be successfully caught. The suffix itself has a long pedigree. It comes from Latin "-abilis", which in turn grew from the verb-forming "-are" and the adjective-forming "-bilis". It passed into Old French as "-able" and entered English in Middle English, where it became one of the most productive endings in the language. Writers could attach it to nearly any verb, so new coinages like this one could appear without any special invention. "Fish" itself is ancient in English. It descends from Old English "fisc", and its roots reach back to a Proto-Germanic form, so the base of this word is among the oldest parts of the vocabulary, while the suffix is a later borrowing from Romance.

Synonyms: catchable, anglable

Antonyms: nonfishable