Capable of being commanded or controlled; obedient, docile, or willing to follow instructions.
From Old English 'biddan' (to command, offer, request) + suffix '-able' (capable of being). The meaning evolved from 'able to be commanded' to more broadly mean 'willing to obey.'
Parents and dog trainers still use this word today, but it originally described people—Scottish and Irish literature from the 1600s often praised servants as 'biddable,' showing how class and obedience were deeply connected in that era.
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