habile

[hab-il]

adjective

skillful; dexterous; adroit.

Nearby words

Origin of habile

1375–1425; late Middle English habyll < Latin habilis handy, apt; see able

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for habile

The habile Major descried the party the instant he entered the room, and led the lady directly to it.
The Widow Barnaby|Frances Trollope
The Indian must yield to them in this knowledge, and even the habile sailor makes but a clumsy knot in comparison.
The White Chief|Mayne Reid
From French, "habile," in which we see the etymology of "able."
Letters of Samuel Rutherford|Samuel Rutherford
Whether in his study of political problems, his pictures of people, or his sketches of scenery, he is equally keen and habile.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 108, April 6, 1895|Various

British Dictionary definitions for habile

habile

adjective

rare skilful

obsolete fit

Word Origin for habile

C14: from Latin habilis, from habēre to have; see able

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012