All 3 Uses of
coherent
in
The ABC Murders
- A man may believe himself divinely appointed to kill clergymen-or doctors-or old women in tobacco shops-and there's always some perfectly coherent reason behind it.†
Chpt 8coherent = sensible and clear; or describing parts as fitting together in a consistent or pleasing manner
- She sat twisting her hands together, almost weeping, appealing incoherently to Poirot.
Chpt 23 *incoherently = in an unclear manner (not understandable)standard prefix: The prefix "in-" in incoherently means not and reverses the meaning of coherently. This is the same pattern you see in words like invisible, incomplete, and insecure.
- After wringing Poirot's hand and endeavouring very incoherently and unsuccessfully to thank him, Mr. Cust drew himself up and said: "Do you know, a newspaper has actually offered me a hundred pounds-a hundred pounds-for a brief account of my life and history.†
Chpt 34incoherently = not in a sensible and clear manner; or not in a manner where parts fit together consistently or pleasinglystandard prefix: The prefix "in-" in incoherently means not and reverses the meaning of coherently. This is the same pattern you see in words like invisible, incomplete, and insecure.
Definitions:
-
(1)
(coherent) sensible and clear; or describing parts as fitting together in a consistent or pleasing manner
-
(2)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) meaning too rare to warrant focus:
A comprehensive dictionary will have more specialized definitions of coherent such as one used in physics.