habile

[hab-il]

adjective

skillful; dexterous; adroit.

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. 2018

Examples from the Web for habile

Historical Examples of habile

From French, "habile," in which we see the etymology of "able."
Letters of Samuel Rutherford
Samuel Rutherford
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
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