merchantable

adj

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Italic *merks Latin merx Latin mercor Latin mercānsder. Anglo-Norman marchauntbor. Middle English marchaunt English merchant Proto-Indo-European *-tḗr Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlom Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlis Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English merchantable From merchant + -able.

1. Fit for the market, i.e. suitable for selling for an ordinary price. Sometimes, this is a technical designation for a particular kind or class.

   “The defendants pleaded the general issue, with notice of the set-off, averring that but a part of the logs ever came to their possession, and of this part but a few were merchantable, the balance of them being worthless, and claiming damages for the inferior quality of the logs.”