Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Popular Searches
Synonyms
Nearby Words

brittlest

 - 5 dictionary results

brit⋅tle

  [brit-l] adjective, -tler, -tlest, noun, verb, -tled, -tling.
Use brittlest in a Sentence
–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

Related forms:
brit⋅tle⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1. fragile. See frail 1 .
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To brittlest
brit·tle   (brĭt'l)   
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 © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

brittle 
O.E. bryttian "to break to pieces," from P.Gmc. stem *brutilo- "break" (cf. O.N. brjota "to break," O.H.G. brodi "fragile"), from PIE *bhreu-, from base *bher- "to cut with a sharp point." With -le, suffix forming adjectives with meaning "liable to."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: brit·tle
Pronunciation: 'brit-&l
Function: adjective
: affected with or being a form of type 1 diabetes characterized bylarge and unpredictable fluctuations in blood glucose level <brittle diabetes> brittle diabetic>
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Science Dictionary
brittle   (brĭt'l)  Pronunciation Key 
Having a tendency to break when subject to high stress. Brittle materials have undergone very little strain when they reach their elastic limit, and tend to break at that limit. Compare ductile.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see brittlest on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way