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ductile - 7 dictionary results

duc⋅tile

  [duhk-tl, -til]
Use ductile in a Sentence
–adjective
1. capable of being hammered out thin, as certain metals; malleable.
2. capable of being drawn out into wire or threads, as gold.
3. able to undergo change of form without breaking.
4. capable of being molded or shaped; plastic.
Origin:
1300–50; ME < L ductilis, equiv. to duct(us) (ptp. of dūcere to draw along) + -ilis -ile

Related forms:
duc⋅tile⋅ly, adverb
duc⋅til⋅i⋅ty, duc⋅tile⋅ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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duc·tile   (dŭk'təl, -tīl')   
adj.  
  1. Easily drawn into wire or hammered thin: ductile metals.
  2. Easily molded or shaped. See Synonyms at malleable.
  3. Capable of being readily persuaded or influenced; tractable.

[Middle English ductil, from Old French, from Latin ductilis, from ductus, past participle of dūcere, to lead; see deuk- in Indo-European roots.]
duc·til'i·ty (-tĭl'ĭ-tē), duc'ti·li·bil'i·ty (-lə-bĭl'ĭ-tē) 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.
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Ductile

Duc"tile\, a. [L. ductilis, fr. ducere to lead: cf. F. ductile. See Duct.]

1. Easily led; tractable; complying; yielding to motives, persuasion, or instruction; as, a ductile people. --Addison.

Forms their ductile minds To human virtues. --Philips.

2. Capable of being elongated or drawn out, as into wire or threads.

Gold . . . is the softest and most ductile of all metals. --Dryden. -- Duc"tile*ly, adv. -- Duc"tile*ness, n.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : ductile
Spanish: dúctil,
German: biegsam,
Japanese: 引き伸ばせる
More Translations »

ductile 
c.1340, from O.Fr. ductile, from L. ductilis "that may be led or drawn," from ducere "to lead" (see duke).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Main Entry: duc·tile
Pronunciation: 'd&k-t&l, -"tIl
Function: adjective
: capable of being drawn out or hammered thin<ductile metal> —duc·til·i·ty /"d&k-'til-&t-E/ noun plural -ties
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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ductile duc·tile (dŭk'təl, -tīl')
adj.
Easily molded or shaped.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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ductile   (dŭk'təl)  Pronunciation Key 
  1. 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.
  2. Relating to rock or other materials that are capable of withstanding a certain amount of force by changing form before fracturing or breaking.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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