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ductile

[duhk-tl, -til]
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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.
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Origin of ductile

1300–50; Middle English < Latin ductilis, equivalent to duct(us) (past participle of dūcere to draw along) + -ilis -ile
Related formsduc·tile·ly, adverbduc·til·i·ty, duc·tile·ness, nounnon·duc·tile, adjectivenon·duc·til·i·ty, nounsem·i·duc·tile, adjectiveun·duc·tile, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

adaptable, amenable, docile, malleable, manageable, plastic, pliable, responsive, supple, tractable, yielding, biddable, extensile, moldable, submitting

Examples from the Web for ductile

Historical Examples

  • A ductile substance is one which is capable of being drawn into wire.

    Orthography

    Elmer W. Cavins

  • On the other hand, if it is suffered to cool gradually, it becomes too soft and ductile.

  • Among the metals permanent in the air, 17 are ductile and 16 are brittle.

  • Nickel is white, ductile and malleable, but of difficult fusion.

  • It is of a reddish colour, malleable, ductile, and tenacious.

British Dictionary definitions for ductile

ductile

adjective
  1. (of a metal, such as gold or copper) able to be drawn out into wire
  2. able to be moulded; pliant; plastic
  3. easily led or influenced; tractable
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Derived Formsductilely, adverbductility (dʌkˈtɪlɪtɪ) or ductileness, noun

Word Origin

C14: from Old French, from Latin ductilis, from dūcere to lead
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for ductile

adj.

mid-14c., from Old French ductile or directly from Latin ductilis "that may be led or drawn," from past participle of ducere "to lead" (see duke (n.)). Related: Ductility.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
ductile in Medicine

ductile

(dŭk′təl, -tīl′)
adj.
  1. Easily molded or shaped.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
ductile in Science

ductile

[dŭk′təl]
  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.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.