a. Now rare or Obs. [f. COMPASSION + -ABLE.]

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  † 1.  actively. Inclined to compassion; pitiful, compassionate. Obs.

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1548.  Thomas, Ital. Gram. & Dict., Compassionenole, pitifull or compassionable.

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1601.  Deacon & Walker, Spirits & Divels, To Rdr. 4. Our compassionable care to profit … the parties.

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1632.  Lithgow, Trav., V. 188. Some compassionable Greekes … relieued me.

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1635.  J. Hayward, Banish’d Virg., 15. With a no lesse ardent than compassionable affection.

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  2.  Deserving or exciting compassion, pitiable.

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1635.  J. Hayward, Banish’d Virg., 14. My case being but too compassionable.

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1751.  Eliz. Carter, in Rambler, No. 100, ¶ 1. The case of these truly compassionable objects.

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1823.  Lamb, Elia, Ser. II. xviii. (1865), 363. Half-ludicrous, but more than half compassionable and admirable errors.

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