a. [ad. L. cūrābilis, f. cūrāre to cure: perh. through F. curable (14th c. in Littré).]
1. Capable of being cured; fig. amendable, remediable.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., VII. lviii. (1495), 272. In xl dayes it is curable.
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 185. Ulcera … summe ben curable & summe ben incurable.
c. 1460. Play Sacram., 31. He can telle yf yow be curable.
1592. W. Perkins, Cases Consc. (1619), 159. Enemies of God and his truth, are also of two sorts, either Curable or Incurable.
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 107, ¶ 2. Evils are much more curable in their Beginnings.
1822. Hazlitt, Table-t., Spir. Partizanship. Of that they are curable like any occasional disorder.
† 2. Disposed to cure; able to cure. Obs.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 315/3. My brother Fyre be thow to me in this houre debonayre and curable.
1584. Whetstone, Mirror, Ep. A iij b. A Physition … may applie a curable Medicine for a hidden Disease.
1615. G. Sandys, Trav., III. 174 (D.). The water … retaining a curable vertue against all diseases.
Hence † Curableness, curability.
a. 1691. Boyle, Wks., II. 110 (R.). The arguments … for the curableness of all diseases, are not very cogent.
1727. in Bailey, vol. II.
