Microwavable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Capable of being heated or cooked using a microwave oven; suitable for use in a device that emits microwave radiation for rapid warming; designed to endure microwave cooking without damage or harmful effects
2. Fit to be placed in a microwave appliance for quick heating or cooking; constructed to be microwave-safe and not release toxins; intended for convenient warming through microwave energy
3. Able to withstand the conditions within a microwave oven for safe consumption or preparation; made with materials compatible with microwave radiation; intended to be heated efficiently via microwaves without compromising safety or quality

Etymology: Microwaves were not a household thing until well into the twentieth century, so the word is a recent creation built from two very different pieces. The first is "micro-", from Ancient Greek "mīkrós", meaning "small," which entered English as a combining form. The second is "wave," which in this case refers to the electromagnetic radiation that heats food, and the combined "microwave" names that short-wavelength radiation. The ending is much older. "-able" descends through Old French from Latin "-ābilis," a suffix meaning "capable of being," and it has been attached to English verbs and nouns for centuries. Adding it to "microwave" produces an adjective meaning that something can be treated with microwave radiation, and the word is usually used on packaging to show that a container or dish can safely go into the oven.

Synonyms: microwave-safe, microwave-friendly, heatable, reheat-ready

Antonyms: non-microwavable, microwave-unsafe, non-heatable