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ductile
[ duhk-tl, -til ]
/ ˈdʌk tl, -tɪl /
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adjective
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Origin of ductile
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Latin ductilis, equivalent to duct(us) (past participle of dūcere “to draw along”) + -ilis adjective suffix (see -ile)
OTHER WORDS FROM ductile
Words nearby ductile
duckwheat, ducky, Ducommun, duct, ductal carcinoma in situ, ductile, ductility, ducting, duct keel, ductless gland, ductor
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use ductile in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for ductile
ductile
/ (ˈdʌktaɪl) /
adjective
(of a metal, such as gold or copper) able to be drawn out into wire
able to be moulded; pliant; plastic
easily led or influenced; tractable
Derived forms of ductile
ductilely, adverbductility (dʌkˈtɪlɪtɪ) or ductileness, nounWord Origin for ductile
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
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Scientific definitions for ductile
ductile
[ dŭk′təl ]
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.
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 © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.