Adjective

(en adjective)

Obvious or easy to notice.

* {{quote-book, year=1928, author=Lawrence R. Bourne

, title=Well Tackled! , chapter=7 citation , passage=“No, don't,” replied the superintendent; “in fact, I'd rather you made yourself conspicuous elsewhere. Go down to the landing stage and cross to New Brighton or Wallasey—doesn't matter which—and come back. No doubt you will be seen, and reported to have gone across.”}}

He was conspicuous by his absence.

Noticeable or attracting attention, especially if unattractive.

* 1969 , Saul Bellow, Mr Sammler's Planet , Penguin Books Ltd, page 6:

For his height he had a small face. The combination made him conspicuous .

He had a conspicuous lump on his forehead.

Adjective

(en adjective)

Capable of being touched, felt or handled; touchable, tangible.

* (William Shakespeare), Hamlet , act 5, sc. 2:

Osric: A hit, a very palpable hit.

* 1838 , (Edgar Allan Poe), "Ligeia":

I had felt that some palpable although invisible object had passed lightly by my person.

* 1894 , (Bret Harte), "The Heir of the McHulishes" in A Protegee of Jack Hamlin's and Other Stories :

The next morning the fog had given way to a palpable , horizontally driving rain.

Obvious or easily perceived; noticeable.

*

, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=5 , passage=Although the Celebrity was almost impervious to sarcasm, he was now beginning to exhibit visible signs of uneasiness,

* 1913 , (Sax Rohmer), The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu ch. 24:

Her voice, her palpable agitation, prepared us for something extraordinary.

* 1916 , (Kathleen Norris), The Heart of Rachael , ch. 7:

No use in raging, in reasoning, in arguing. No use in setting forth the facts, the palpable right and wrong.

(medicine) That can be detected by palpation.