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brittleness - 4 dictionary results

brit⋅tle

   [brit-l]
adjective, -tler, -tlest, noun, verb, -tled, -tling.
–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.
–verb (used without object)
7. to be or become brittle; crumble.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME britel, equiv. to brit- (akin to OE brysten fragment) + -el adj. suffix
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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brit·tle     (brĭt'l)  Pronunciation Key 
adj.   brit·tler, brit·tlest
    1. Likely to break, snap, or crack, as when subjected to pressure: brittle bones.
    2. Easily damaged or disrupted; fragile: a brittle friendship. See Synonyms at fragile.
    3. Difficult to deal with; snappish: a brittle disposition.
    4. Lacking warmth of feeling; cold: a reputation for being brittle and aloof.
    5. Perishable.
    6. Fleeting; transitory.
    1. Difficult to deal with; snappish: a brittle disposition.
    2. Lacking warmth of feeling; cold: a reputation for being brittle and aloof.
    3. Perishable.
    4. Fleeting; transitory.
  3. Brilliantly sharp, as in percussive sound.
    1. Perishable.
    2. Fleeting; transitory.
n.   A confection of caramelized sugar to which nuts are added: walnut brittle.

[Middle English britel, probably from Old English *brytel, from bryttian, to shatter.]
brit'tle·ly (brĭt'l-ē) adv., brit'tle·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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brittleness

noun
firm but easily broken 

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
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Brittleness

Brit"tle*ness\, n. Aptness to break; fragility.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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