frangible

American  

[fran-juh-buhl] / ˈfræn dʒə bəl /

adjective

1. easily broken; breakable.

   Most frangible toys are not suitable for young children.

   Synonyms:

   frail, fragile

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frangible British  

/ ˈfrændʒɪbəl /

adjective

1. breakable or fragile

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Other Word Forms

• frangibility
  noun
• frangibleness
  noun
• nonfrangibility
  noun
• nonfrangible
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of frangible

1375–1425; late Middle English < Old French, derivative of Latin frangere to break; see -ible

Explanation

Something that's frangible is breakable. You might scold your little sister, "Hey, don't throw that plate like a Frisbee! It's frangible!" Frangible things can be broken, and they're especially likely to be described this way if they're brittle or crumbly. If your pizza crust is thin, crisp and cracker-like, you can call it frangible. The pages of a very old book you find in your attic might also be frangible. More figuratively, you could describe your easily injured feelings as frangible too. The Latin root is frangere, which means "to break."