Nearby Words
adjective
1.
having hardness and rigidity but little tensile strength; breaking readily with a comparatively smooth fracture, as glass.
2.
easily damaged or destroyed; fragile; frail: a brittle marriage.
3.
lacking warmth, sensitivity, or compassion; aloof; self-centered: a self-possessed, cool, and rather brittle person.
4.
having a sharp, tense quality: a brittle tone of voice.
5.
unstable or impermanent; evanescent.
noun
6.
a confection of melted sugar, usually with nuts, brittle when cooled: peanut brittle.
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Brittleness
is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
verb (used without object)
7.
to be or become brittle; crumble.
Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English britel, equivalent to brit- (akin to Old English brysten fragment) + -el adj. suffix
1350–1400; Middle English britel, equivalent to brit- (akin to Old English brysten fragment) + -el adj. suffix
Related forms
brit·tle·ness, noun
un·brit·tle, adjective
un·brit·tle·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
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Link To brittleness
Collins
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
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