Knottable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Able to be tied or twisted into a knot, as with rope, string, or thread
2. Capable of being formed into a knot when pulled, looped, or secured in a tangle
3. Describing something flexible enough that it can be fastened or tied in a knot

Etymology: "Knottable" is about as plain as etymologies get: it is "knot" with the suffix "-able" attached, meaning able to be knotted. The base word "knot" comes from Old English "cnotta," and the suffix "-able" comes through Old French from Latin "-abilis," a formation meaning capable of or fit for the action named by the root. The suffix does most of the work here. English has long attached "-able" to verbs to describe what can be done to a thing, as with "washable" or "breakable," and "knottable" follows that pattern exactly. Its sense is literal and physical: a cord, a strand of hair, or a length of fabric that can be tied into knots, or that tangles easily. Nothing in its history involves a surprising shift in meaning, so the word's clearest story is simply its construction.

Synonyms: tieable, knotable, bindable

Antonyms: unknottable, untieable