adjustable

English

Etymology

From adjust +‎ -able.

Pronunciation

• Audio (US):

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Adjective

adjustable (comparative more adjustable, superlative most adjustable)

1. Capable of being adjusted.
   1. (usually) Designed to be adjusted without difficulty.
      • 1957 August, “New Multiple-Unit Stock for Hastings and Watford Services”, in Railway Magazine, page 532:

        Another feature new to British Railways is the provision of two-position adjustable seats in the first class compartments. In this design, the seat squab can be pulled out some six inches, the seat back being attached to the seat to give a less upright sitting position.

Derived terms

• adjustable bend
• adjustable hitch
• adjustable loop
• adjustable pliers
• adjustable spanner
• adjustable wrench
• adjustably
• nonadjustable
• readjustable
• semiadjustable
• unadjustable

Translations

capable of being adjusted

Bulgarian: нагласяем (naglasjaem), регулируем (bg) (reguliruem) Catalan: ajustable Czech: nastavitelný Dutch: aanpasbaar (nl), regelbaar (nl) Finnish: säädettävä French: ajustable (fr), réglable (fr) Galician: axustable (gl) German: einstellbar, justierbar, verstellbar (de) Icelandic: stillanlegur (is) Italian: modificabile (it), regolabile (it) Manx: so-chiartaghey Portuguese: ajustável (pt) Romanian: ajustabil (ro) Spanish: ajustable (es), regulable, graduable (es) Swedish: justerbar (sv), inställbar (sv), reglerbar

Noun

adjustable (plural adjustables)

1. Anything that can be adjusted.
   2. (often) Ellipsis of adjustable spanner.
      • 1991, Stephen King, Needful Things:

        "He came in. He had a gun. He was crazy. You can see he was crazy; look what he did to Ricky. He thought Ricky was me. He wanted to steal my adjustables. Look."
        Sonny smiled and tilted the steel case so Henry could look at the jumble of rusty ironmongery inside.