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comestible

adjective
co·​mes·​ti·​ble | \ kÉ™-ˈme-stÉ™-bÉ™l How to pronounce comestible (audio) \

Definition of comestible

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: edible

comestible

noun

Definition of comestible (Entry 2 of 2)

: food —usually used in plural
Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about comestible

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Synonyms & Antonyms for comestible

Synonyms: Adjective

eatable, eating, edible, esculent

Antonyms: Adjective

inedible, nonedible, uneatable

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Did You Know?

Adjective

Did you expect comestible to be a noun meaning "food"? You're probably not alone. As it happens, comestible is used both as an adjective and a noun. The adjective is by far the older of the two; it has been part of English since at least the 1400s. (In fact, one of its earliest known uses was in a text printed in 1483 by William Caxton, the man who established England's first printing press.) The noun (which is most often used in the plural form, comestibles) dates only from 1837. It made its first appearance in a novel in which a character fortified himself with "a strong reinforcement of comestibles."

Examples of comestible in a Sentence

Adjective

 some mushrooms are comfortably comestible, but others are decidedly poisonous

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

 As far as comestible trends, Barcelona has long been a lab for innovation both within Spain and abroad. — Lauren Mowery, USA TODAY, "A Barcelona wine and tapas adventure," 19 June 2017

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

 For Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena, the geographic-specific comestible protected by the European Commission, head to Modena and Reggio Emilia provinces. — Elizabeth Chang, Washington Post, "The best souvenirs to bring home from 10 countries," 2 July 2019 Master chef Silvio Giavedoni provided the scrumptious comestibles. — Hamish Bowles, Vogue, "Dior and the Venetian Heritage Foundation Host a Grand Masked Ball at the Palazzo Labia," 21 May 2019 Some of the price is for the soft drinks, craft beer, wine, premium liquor and food, which includes grill stations that offer freshly made artisan pizzas and other comestibles. — Phil Rosenthal, chicagotribune.com, "Cubs' 1914 Club at Wrigley Field is a windowless hideaway at new-car prices," 11 Apr. 2018 Genetic modifications don’t just improve the market quality of comestibles on offer. — Katy Waldman, Slate Magazine, "How Franken- Lurched Its Way Into Our Lexicon," 6 Jan. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'comestible.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of comestible

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1799, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for comestible

Adjective

Medieval Latin comestibilis, from Latin comestus, past participle of comedere to eat, from com- + edere to eat — more at eat

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More from Merriam-Webster on comestible

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with comestible

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for comestible

Spanish Central: Translation of comestible

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