-ability

The condition or property of endeavouring or striving for something: The attemptability of climbing up the Matterhorn was still way beyond the hopes of the hikers.

The quality of being at hand when needed: Han's availability when the supervisor asked him to go to visit the ill patient was greatly appreciated.

The availability of affordable housing attracted Mike and his family to the town.

1. The physiological accessibility of a given amount of a drug, as distinct from its chemical potency; proportion of the administered dose which is absorbed into the bloodstream: The local veterinarian was conscious of the bioavailability of the medications which were prescribed for the horses.
2. The degree to which a drug is in place throughout the body and is ready for action at the desired receptor sites: After receiving an injection, the doctor advised the patient to rest while she monitored the bioavailability of the medication.
3. The extent to which a nutrient or medication can be used by a person: In order to adjust the medications properly, the doctor monitored the bioavailability of the medication that was prescribed for the patient.

Bioavailability is used to determine whether different brand-name drugs, a generic name as opposed to a brand-name drug, or, in some cases, different batches of the same brand-name drug, will produce the same therapeutic effects.

The capacity of being broken down chemically by organisms in the environment: The biodegradability of the new kind of plastic was proven to be a great thing and totally accepted by the consumers.

Relating to organic compounds that can be decomposed by natural processes: Environmentally friendly people are interested in using only biodegradable detergents, which can be broken down by biological agents, particularly by bacteria, when washing their clothes or dishes.

Most plastics, for example, are not biodegradable and will remain in the environment for ever!

1. The capacity to do something: To become a pilot you have to possess the full physical and mental capabilities of doing the job successfully.
2. An aspect of something which is able to be developed; potentiality: Tim was so talented and so musical that he had the capability of entering the music academy abroad.

Even though the house was quite neglected and partly decayed, it had great possibilities and the capability of being rebuilt into a great place!
3. The power of a country's resources to embark on a certain kind of military undertaking: The little, but strong, nation had the capability of producing nuclear weapons.

1. The ability to have knowledge or understanding: Lynn certainly possessed the cognizability and intelligence of grasping the facts and therefore she paid much attention to the teacher, Mrs. Turner, in school.
2. The potential of being known or perceived: The cognizability of the events were not recognized in time by the public.

The abnormality or irregularity in a process involving the combustion of a source of energy or fuel: In aerospace engineering, combustion instability may take place in a rocket engine.

In classifying combustion instabilities there are three types which are related to engines: chamber instabilities, intrinsic instabilities, and system instabilities.

The capability of data, disease, etc. of being transmitted from one location to another: The epidemiologist studied the communicability of a recently discovered virus.

1. The facility to make a calculation or reckoning by purely mechanical means: Little Tommy tried out the computability of his abacus to finish his math assignment.
2. The capability of a computer or calculator to make estimations or do accounting: In order to figure out and organize her payments, Joan was convinced of the computability of her laptop to get perfect and satisfactory results.

The capability of something or even someone that can be hidden, withdrawn or removed from observation, covered up, or kept out of sight: The concealability of the hideaway in little Sally's room was great because she could sit there quietly and her parents couldn't see or hear her at all!

1. The situation of two sets of strata being parallel and in contact to each other: Janet read in her book that conformability is used especially in regards to natural geological layers, as with a layer of Algonkian limestones lying parallel on a layer of Cretaceous shales.
2. The state of being inclined or willing to agree or abide by: The conformability of the employees at the firm all liked Mr. Smith, their employer, and consented to doing the reasonable jobs at hand.

1. Having the ability to interpret the meaning of something: Tom's mother found the construability of Tom's odd answer to her question as an acceptance that he wanted to go with her to the store.
2. Capable of discovering by inference or deduction: By using her construability, Susan thought that Joe, the new boy in class, wanted to sit next to her because he wanted to be friends with her.
3. The capability to analyze the grammatical structure of or to parse language: Mrs. Smart thought that the students in her Latin class possessed the construability of examining and translating the Latin sentence by Cicero which she gave them as their homework.

1. The ability to inspire belief or trust: Andre's story about why he was so late in coming home the other evening had enough credibility to convince his parents that he was telling the truth.
2. A willingness to accept something as true, believable, or plausible: The financial scandal damaged the credibility of the politician as an honest and and trustworthy candidate. © ALL rights are reserved.
© ALL rights are reserved.

Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
for a list of additional Mickey Bach illustrations.

The quality of something that is worthy of limited praise: The student's efforts with the test, although not outstanding, still had some creditability.