Word Study
impalpable
CIDE DICTIONARY
impalpable, a. [Pref. im- not + palpable: cf. F. impalpable.].
- Not palpable; that cannot be felt; extremely fine, so that no grit can be perceived by touch. Boyle. [1913 Webster]
- Not material; intangible; incorporeal. Holland. [1913 Webster]
- Not apprehensible, or readily apprehensible, by the mind; unreal; as, impalpable distinctions. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
impalpable, adj.
1 not easily grasped by the mind; intangible.
2 imperceptible to the touch.
3 (of powder) very fine; not containing grains that can be felt.
1 not easily grasped by the mind; intangible.
2 imperceptible to the touch.
3 (of powder) very fine; not containing grains that can be felt.
Derivative
impalpability n. impalpably adv.
Etymology
F impalpable or LL impalpabilis (as IN-(1), PALPABLE)
THESAURUS
impalpable
airy, asomatous, astral, atomic, bodiless, branny, chalklike, chalky, comminute, comminuted, corpuscular, crushed, decarnate, decarnated, detrital, detrited, discarnate, disembodied, disintegrated, dusty, efflorescent, embryonic, ethereal, evanescent, extramundane, farinaceous, fine, flaky, floury, furfuraceous, germinal, ghostly, gone to dust, granular, grated, ground, immaterial, imperceptible, imponderable, inappreciable, incorporate, incorporeal, indiscernible, infinitesimal, insensible, insubstantial, intangible, invisible, levigated, mealy, microcosmic, microscopic, milled, molecular, nonmaterial, nonphysical, nonsubstantial, occult, otherworldly, pestled, phantom, powdered, powdery, psychic, pulverant, pulverized, pulverulent, reduced to powder, scaly, scobicular, scobiform, scurfy, shadowy, sharded, shredded, spiritual, subatomic, supernatural, tenuous, thin, transmundane, triturated, ultramicroscopic, unapparent, unappreciable, unconcrete, unearthly, unembodied, unextended, unfleshly, unobservable, unperceivable, unphysical, unseeable, unsolid, unsubstanced, unsubstantial, unworldly, weightlessROGET THESAURUS
impalpable
Littleness
N littleness, smallness, exiguity, inextension, parvitude, parvity, duodecimo, Elzevir edition, epitome, microcosm, rudiment, vanishing point, thinness, dwarf, pygmy, pigmy, Liliputian, chit, pigwidgeon, urchin, elf, atomy, dandiprat, doll, puppet, Tom Thumb, Hop-o'-my-thumb, manikin, mannikin, homunculus, dapperling, cock-sparrow, animalcule, monad, mite, insect, emmet, fly, midge, gnat, shrimp, minnow, worm, maggot, entozoon, bacteria, infusoria, microzoa, phytozoaria, microbe, grub, tit, tomtit, runt, mouse, small fry, millet seed, mustard seed, barleycorn, pebble, grain of sand, molehill, button, bubble, point, atom, fragment, powder, point of a pin, mathematical point, minutiae, micrometer, vernier, scale, microphotography, photomicrography, micrography, photomicrograph, microphotograph, microscopy, microscope (optical instruments), little, small, minute, diminutive, microscopic, microzoal, inconsiderable, exiguous, puny, tiny, wee, petty, minikin, miniature, pygmy, pigmy, elfin, undersized, dwarf, dwarfed, dwarfish, spare, stunted, limited, cramp, cramped, pollard, Liliputian, dapper, pocket, portative, portable, duodecimo, dumpy, squat, short, impalpable, intangible, evanescent, imperceptible, invisible, inappreciable, insignificant, inconsiderable, trivial, infinitesimal, homoeopathic, atomic, subatomic, corpuscular, molecular, rudimentary, rudimental, embryonic, vestigial, weazen, scant, scraggy, scrubby, thin, granular, shrunk, brevipennate, in a small compass, in a nutshell, on a small scale, minutely, microscopically.Pulverulence
N powderiness, pulverulence, sandiness, efflorescence, friability, powder, dust, sand, shingle, sawdust, grit, meal, bran, flour, farina, rice, paddy, spore, sporule, crumb, seed, grain, particle, limature, filings, debris, detritus, tailings, talus slope, scobs, magistery, fine powder, flocculi, smoke, cloud of dust, cloud of sand, cloud of smoke, puff of smoke, volume of smoke, sand storm, dust storm, pulverization, comminution, attenuation, granulation, disintegration, subaction, contusion, trituration, levigation, abrasion, detrition, multure, limitation, tripsis, filing, mill, arrastra, gristmill, grater, rasp, file, mortar and pestle, nutmeg grater, teeth, grinder, grindstone, kern, quern, koniology, powdery, pulverulent, granular, mealy, floury, farinaceous, branny, furfuraceous, flocculent, dusty, sandy, sabulous, psammous, arenose, arenarious, arenaceous, gritty, efflorescent, impalpable, lentiginous, lepidote, sabuline, sporaceous, sporous, pulverizable, friable, crumbly, shivery, pulverized, attrite, in pieces.Numbness
N numbness, anaesthesia, pins and needles, numb, benumbed, deadened, intangible, impalpable, (2) Heat.For further exploring for "impalpable" in Webster Dictionary Online