Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Able \A"ble\, a. [Comp. {Abler}; superl. {Ablest}.] [OF. habile,
   L. habilis that may be easily held or managed, apt, skillful,
   fr. habere to have, hold. Cf. {Habile} and see {Habit}.]
   1. Fit; adapted; suitable. [Obs.]

            A many man, to ben an abbot able.     --Chaucer.

   2. Having sufficient power, strength, force, skill, means, or
      resources of any kind to accomplish the object; possessed
      of qualifications rendering competent for some end;
      competent; qualified; capable; as, an able workman,
      soldier, seaman, a man able to work; a mind able to
      reason; a person able to be generous; able to endure pain;
      able to play on a piano.

   3. Specially: Having intellectual qualifications, or strong
      mental powers; showing ability or skill; talented; clever;
      powerful; as, the ablest man in the senate; an able
      speech.

            No man wrote abler state papers.      --Macaulay.

   4. (Law) Legally qualified; possessed of legal competence;
      as, able to inherit or devise property.

   Note:

   {Able for}, is Scotticism. ``Hardly able for such a march.''
      --Robertson.

   Syn: Competent; qualified; fitted; efficient; effective;
        capable; skillful; clever; vigorous; powerful.

Able \A"ble\, v. t. [See {Able}, a.] [Obs.]
   1. To make able; to enable; to strengthen. --Chaucer.

   2. To vouch for. ``I 'll able them.'' --Shak.

Source : WordNet®

able
     adj 1: (usually followed by `to') having the necessary means or
            skill or know-how or authority to do something; "able
            to swim"; "she was able to program her computer"; "we
            were at last able to buy a car"; "able to get a grant
            for the project" [ant: {unable}]
     2: have the skills and qualifications to do things well; "able
        teachers"; "a capable administrator"; "children as young
        as 14 can be extremely capable and dependable" [syn: {capable}]
     3: having inherent physical or mental ability or capacity;
        "able to learn"; "human beings are able to walk on two
        feet"; "Superman is able to leap tall buildings"
     4: having a strong healthy body; "an able seaman"; "every
        able-bodied young man served in the army" [syn: {able-bodied}]

Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

ABLE
     
         A simple language for accountants.
     
        ["ABLE, The Accounting Language, Programming and Reference
        Manual," Evansville Data Proc Center, Evansville, IN, Mar
        1975].
     
        [Listed in SIGPLAN Notices 13(11):56 (Nov 1978)].
     
        (1994-11-08)