Filtrable

/ˈfɪltrəbəl/ adjective

Definition

Capable of being filtered; able to be separated or purified using a filter.

Etymology

From filter (from Latin filtrare, to strain, possibly from felt-like material used for filtering) + -able (from Latin -abilis, capable of). This Latin suffix creates adjectives meaning 'able to be' or 'capable of being.'

Kelly Says

Viruses that can pass through standard bacterial filters are called 'filtrable viruses'—this term literally helped scientists discover that viruses were smaller and different from bacteria in the early 1900s!

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.