Definition of

Palpable

The adjective palpable is used to describe what can be palpated : that is, touched with the hands . The palpable, therefore, can be recognized or perceived through the sense of touch .

PalpableFor example: “Days ago I discovered a palpable lump on my neck, so I already made an appointment to see a doctor,” “During the checkup the doctor discovered a palpable nodule on the young man's left arm,” “I didn't see any scratches .” nor did I find any palpable mark when examining the table .

In the field of medicine , detecting a palpable abnormal mass can be a sign of some type of disease , injury or disorder . A doctor, through a physical examination, may find a palpable tumor , to mention one possibility, although he or she will then need to perform other studies to confirm the initial diagnosis.

Likewise, one of the keys to being able to diagnose FMS, also known as Myofascial Pain Syndrome, is that the person in question has a palpable band, which is a group of fibers that refer to the muscle it affects and that They shape a band with a certain consistency.

As a general rule, this band is not visible to the naked eye. For this reason, the doctor will have to perform an examination on the patient to discover that palpable nodule. In this way, you will be able to establish that it is an MFS, which brings with it noticeable muscle pain.

The notion of palpable also has a symbolic use to refer to what is notorious or evident . In this case, the concept does not indicate that what is palpable can be touched with the hands, but rather it mentions that it is something obvious : “The tennis player's disagreement with the judge was palpable,” “That the company goes bankrupt is a possibility.” palpable due to the magnitude of the economic crisis” , “The sadness generated by the defeat is palpable throughout the stadium” .

Suppose that a man , upon seeing his newborn son, smiles and looks shiny with tears that accumulate in his eyes. It can be said that this individual's emotion is palpable.

In the same way, the term in question can also be used to refer to the relationship between two members of a couple. Thus, it can be said: “It was palpable during the meeting that Eva and Manuel had argued, because they did not look at each other or speak to each other. Their love seems to be faltering.”

In the cultural sphere, we cannot ignore that the word we are addressing has also been used on numerous occasions to give titles to certain works. This would be the case, for example, of the book “Palpable Longings”. This was published in 1999, is written by Padmasuri and has the subtitle: “Life among the former untouchable Buddhists of India.”

Other words that can function as synonyms for palpable are clear, ostensible, patent, manifest, evident or tangible. On the contrary, among its antonyms we can highlight others such as confusing, intangible or even hidden.