jettisonable means capable of being jettisoned. It carries an Arena rating of 1131, earned across 26 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, jettisonable ranks #2,288 of 17,052 for Most Ingenious Words, #5,784 of 17,052 for Scariest Words, #6,210 of 17,052 for Most Whimsical Words, #9,850 of 17,052 for Words That Escaped Their Books.
Why “jettisonable” is a great word
Capable of being thrown overboard or discarded, especially to lighten a load in an emergency. From 'jettison' (from Anglo-Norman *getteson*, from Old French *getaison*, 'a throwing', from *geter*, 'to throw') + the suffix '-able' (capable of). First attested in 1934. Unlike "expendable," which emphasizes strategic sacrifice, or "detachable," which implies designed separation, "jettisonable" carries the visceral urgency of survival—the pilot casting fuel tanks into burning air, the sailor heaving cargo into churning seas, the alpinist unclipping a pack to arrest a fall. It is the cold calculus of necessity, the hollow rattle of an empty canister skittering down a deck, and the quiet relief of floating just a moment longer.
Etymology
From jettison + -able.
adj
- Capable of being jettisoned.e.g.“A backup method for the spin recovery parachute system is jettisonable ballast.”
Words closest in meaning
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