Shapeable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Flexible enough to be transformed into different shapes or configurations Capable of being modified to meet varying requirements or situations Allowing for alterations in form or structure without losing its essence
2. Able to be easily molded or changed into various forms without damage
3. Having the property that permits alteration into different shapes through bending or molding

Etymology: "Shapeable" is a plain compound: the noun-turned-verb "shape" with the suffix "-able," meaning "capable of being." Combined, it describes something that can be given or altered in form. The spelling "shapable," without the e before the suffix, is the more common variant, and the two are interchangeable. Because the formation is straightforward, the word's history is mostly that of its two parts. "Shape" has been in English for centuries as a noun for outward form and as a verb meaning to give form to something, while "-able" comes from Latin "-abilis" through French, and it has been attached to English verbs freely for centuries to produce adjectives like "washable" or "readable." Any verb that names an action can take the suffix, which is why a word like this could be formed whenever a speaker needed it.

Synonyms: malleable, formable, modifiable

Antonyms: rigid, inflexible