释义 |
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: ˈbrittleness /ˈbrɪtəlnɪs/ n - the quality of being brittle
- the tendency of a metal to break without being significantly distorted or exposed to a high level of stress
Compare toughness, softness
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024brit•tle /ˈbrɪtəl/USA pronunciation adj., -tler, -tlest, n. adj. - having hardness and stiffness but breaking easily;
easily damaged; frail:brittle icicles. - having a sharp, tense quality;
lacking friendliness; cold: a brittle tone of voice. n. [uncountable] - a kind of candy made of melted sugar, usually with nuts, brittle when cooled: She made peanut brittle.
brit•tle•ness, n. [uncountable] WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024brit•tle (brit′l),USA pronunciation adj., -tler, -tlest, n., v., -tled, -tling. adj. - having hardness and rigidity but little tensile strength;
breaking readily with a comparatively smooth fracture, as glass. - easily damaged or destroyed;
fragile; frail:a brittle marriage. - lacking warmth, sensitivity, or compassion;
aloof; self-centered:a self-possessed, cool, and rather brittle person. - having a sharp, tense quality:a brittle tone of voice.
- unstable or impermanent;
evanescent. n. - a confection of melted sugar, usually with nuts, brittle when cooled:peanut brittle.
v.i. - to be or become brittle;
crumble.
- Middle English britel, equivalent. to brit- (akin to Old English brysten fragment) + -el adjective, adjectival suffix 1350–1400
brit′tle•ness, n. - 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged fragile. See frail 1.
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