ductile
[duhk-tl, -til]
adjective
capable of being hammered out thin, as certain metals; malleable.
capable of being drawn out into wire or threads, as gold.
able to undergo change of form without breaking.
capable of being molded or shaped; plastic.
Origin of ductile
1300–50; Middle English < Latin ductilis, equivalent to duct(us) (past participle of dūcere to draw along) + -ilis -ile
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Related Words for ductile
adaptable, amenable, docile, malleable, manageable, plastic, pliable, responsive, supple, tractable, yielding, biddable, extensile, moldable, submittingExamples from the Web for ductile
Historical Examples of ductile
A ductile substance is one which is capable of being drawn into wire.
OrthographyElmer W. Cavins
On the other hand, if it is suffered to cool gradually, it becomes too soft and ductile.
Popular Technology; Volume 2Edward Hazen
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.
The Silversmith's HandbookGeorge E. Gee
ductile
adjective
Word Origin for ductile
C14: from Old French, from Latin ductilis, from dūcere to lead
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
ductile
[dŭk′təl, -tīl′]
adj.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
ductile
[dŭk′təl]
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.