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fragile

 - 3 dictionary results

frag⋅ile

  [fraj-uhl; Brit. fraj-ahyl]
Use fragile in a Sentence
–adjective
1. easily broken, shattered, or damaged; delicate; brittle; frail: a fragile ceramic container; a very fragile alliance.
2. vulnerably delicate, as in appearance: She has a fragile beauty.
3. lacking in substance or force; flimsy: a fragile excuse.
Origin:
1505–15; < L fragilis, equiv. to frag- (var. s. of frangere to break ) + -ilis -ile

Related forms:
frag⋅ile⋅ly, adverb
fra⋅gil⋅i⋅ty  [fruh-jil-i-tee] , frag⋅ile⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1. See frail 1 .
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To fragile
frag·ile   (frāj'əl, -īl')   
adj.  

  1. Easily broken, damaged, or destroyed; frail.

  2. Lacking physical or emotional strength; delicate.

  3. Lacking substance; tenuous or flimsy: a fragile claim to fame.


[French, from Old French, from Latin fragilis, from frangere, frag-, to break; see bhreg- in Indo-European roots.]
frag'ile·ly adv., fra·gil'i·ty (frə-jĭl'ĭ-tē), frag'ile·ness n.
Synonyms: These adjectives mean easily broken or damaged. Fragile applies to objects that are not made of strong or sturdy material and that require great care when handled: fragile porcelain plates.
Breakable and frangible mean capable of being broken but do not necessarily imply inherent weakness: breakable toys; frangible artifacts.
Delicate refers to what is so soft, tender, or fine as to be susceptible to injury: delicate fruit.
Brittle refers to inelasticity that makes something especially likely to fracture or snap when it is subjected to pressure: brittle bones. See Also Synonyms at weak.
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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Computing Dictionary

fragile
brittle

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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