| Voluble | a. [ L. volubilis, fr. volvere, volutum, to roll, to turn round; akin to Gr. &unr_; to infold, to inwrap, &unr_; to roll, G. welle a wave: cf. F. voluble. Cf. F. Well of water, Convolvulus, Devolve, Involve, Revolt, Vault an arch, Volume, Volute. ] [ 1913 Webster ] 1. Easily rolling or turning; easily set in motion; apt to roll; rotating; as, voluble particles of matter. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. Moving with ease and smoothness in uttering words; of rapid speech; nimble in speaking; glib; as, a flippant, voluble, tongue. [ 1913 Webster ] [ Cassio, ] a knave very voluble. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ] ☞ Voluble was used formerly to indicate readiness of speech merely, without any derogatory suggestion. “A grave and voluble eloquence.” Bp. Hacket. [ 1913 Webster ] 3. Changeable; unstable; fickle. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ] 4. (Bot.) Having the power or habit of turning or twining; as, the voluble stem of hop plants. [ 1913 Webster ]
Voluble stem (Bot.), a stem that climbs by winding, or twining, round another body. [ 1913 Webster ]
-- Vol"u*ble*ness, n. -- Vol"u*bly, adv. [ 1913 Webster ] |
