in a general sense, denotes anything done in a friendly manner, or to promote peace.

AMICABLE Benches, in Roman antiquity, were, according to Plutarch, lower and less honourable seats allotted for the judices pedanei, or inferior judges, who, upon being admitted of the emperor's council, were dignified by him with the title amici.

AMICABLE Numbers, such as are mutually equal to the sum of one another's aliquot parts. Thus the numbers 284 and 220 are amicable numbers: for the aliquot parts 1, 2, 4, 5, 10, 11, 20, 22, 44, 55, 110, of 220, are together equal to the other number 284; and the aliquot parts 1, 2, 4, 71, 142, of 284, are together equal to 220.