ductile
[ duhk-tl, -til ]
/ ˈdʌk tl, -tɪl /
adjective
capable of being hammered out thin, as certain metals; malleable.
capable of being drawn out into wire or threads, as gold.
able to undergo change of form without breaking.
capable of being molded or shaped; plastic.
Origin of ductile
1300–50; Middle English < Latin
ductilis, equivalent to
duct(us) (past participle of
dūcere to draw along) +
-ilis
-ile
OTHER WORDS FROM ductile
Words nearby ductile
ducrey's bacillus,
duct,
duct keel,
duct tape,
ductal carcinoma in situ,
ductile,
ducting,
duction,
ductless,
ductless gland,
ductor
Example sentences from the Web for ductility
British Dictionary definitions for ductility
ductile
/ (ˈdʌktaɪl) /
adjective
(of a metal, such as gold or copper) able to be drawn out into wire
able to be moulded; pliant; plastic
easily led or influenced; tractable
Derived forms of ductile
ductilely, adverb ductility (dʌkˈtɪlɪtɪ) or ductileness, nounWord Origin for ductile
C14: from Old French, from Latin
ductilis, from
dūcere to lead
Medical definitions for ductility
ductile
[ dŭk′təl, -tīl′ ]
adj.
Easily molded or shaped.
Scientific definitions for ductility
ductile
[ dŭk′təl ]
Easily stretched without breaking or lowering in material strength. Gold is relatively ductile at room temperature, and most metals become more ductile with increasing temperature. Compare brittle malleable.
Relating to rock or other materials that are capable of withstanding a certain amount of force by changing form before fracturing or breaking.