ductile

[duhk-tl, -til]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ductile ON THESAURUS.COM

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

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. 2019

Related Words for ductility

resiliency, pliability, springiness, plasticity, give, spring, pliancy, elasticity, tractability, malleability, compliance, resilience

Examples from the Web for ductility

Historical Examples of ductility

Some metals,p. 81 like cast iron, have absolutely no ductility.
Practical Mechanics for Boys
J. S. Zerbe
A small quantity of tin, alloyed with silver, destroys its ductility.
A Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures and Mines
Andrew Ure
Silver ranks next to gold in point of ductility and malleability.
The Silversmith's Handbook
George E. Gee
What I mean is docility, ductility, sequacity—if there is any such word.
Perlycross
R. D. Blackmore
On the other hand, their malleability, ductility, and power of resisting oxygen is generally diminished.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I
Arnold Cooley

British Dictionary definitions for ductility

ductile

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 Formsductilely, adverbductility (dʌkˈtɪlɪtɪ) or ductileness, noun

Word 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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for ductility

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.

ductility in Medicine

ductile

[dŭk′təl, -tīl′]

adj.

Easily molded or shaped.

ductility in Science

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.