irritatable

Irritatable is an adjective describing something that is capable of being irritated or excited, and in biological or medical contexts, something that readily responds to stimulation. It is related to the verb irritate and the noun irritability; in contemporary usage, irritability and irritable are more common, with irritatable appearing mainly in older or more technical literature.

Etymology and form: The word derives from the Latin irritare, meaning to provoke or excite, plus the English suffix -able. The form irritatable has appeared since early modern English and has been used primarily in scientific or scholastic writings. Modern general usage tends to favor irritable for the adjective meaning responsive to stimuli.

Usage and context: In anatomy and physiology, irritatable tissues or nerves are those that respond to stimuli such as touch, heat, or chemical agents. For example, historical texts described irritatable nerve endings that reacted readily to minimal stimulation. In current medical writing, the term is less common; authors more often say the tissue is irritable or simply describe the specific response, such as tactile sensitivity or chemical reactivity.

Relation to related terms: Irritability is the state or quality of being easily excited or provoked, and irritability is a broader term used across biology and psychology. The modern standard adjective is irritable; irritatable remains a rarer or archaic variant. The concept is distinct from irritation (a noun describing the act or condition of being irritated) and from irritants, which are substances that provoke irritation.

See also: irritability, irritable, irritation, irritant, irritative.