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friable
WORDNET DICTIONARY
Adjective friable has 1 sense
- friable(s = adj.all) crumbly - easily broken into small fragments or reduced to powder; "friable sandstone"; "friable carcinomatous tissue"; "friable curds formed in the stomach"; "crumbly cookies" Derived form noun friability1
CIDE DICTIONARY
friable, a. [L. friabilis, fr. friare to rub, break, or crumble into small pieces, cf. fricare to rub, E. fray: cf. F. friable.].
Easily crumbled, pulverized, or reduced to powder. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
friable, adj. easily crumbled.
Derivative
friability n. friableness n.
Etymology
F friable or L friabilis f. friare crumble
THESAURUS
friable
breakable, brittle, brittle as glass, crackable, crimp, crisp, crispy, crumbly, crump, crushable, delicate, fissile, flimsy, fracturable, fragile, frail, frangible, lacerable, pulverizable, pulverulent, scissile, shatterable, shattery, shivery, splintery, triturable, vulnerableROGET THESAURUS
friable
Pulverulence
N powderiness, pulverulence, sandiness, efflorescence, friability, powder, dust, sand, shingle, sawdust, grit, meal, bran, flour, farina, rice, paddy, spore, sporule, crumb, seed, grain, particle, limature, filings, debris, detritus, tailings, talus slope, scobs, magistery, fine powder, flocculi, smoke, cloud of dust, cloud of sand, cloud of smoke, puff of smoke, volume of smoke, sand storm, dust storm, pulverization, comminution, attenuation, granulation, disintegration, subaction, contusion, trituration, levigation, abrasion, detrition, multure, limitation, tripsis, filing, mill, arrastra, gristmill, grater, rasp, file, mortar and pestle, nutmeg grater, teeth, grinder, grindstone, kern, quern, koniology, powdery, pulverulent, granular, mealy, floury, farinaceous, branny, furfuraceous, flocculent, dusty, sandy, sabulous, psammous, arenose, arenarious, arenaceous, gritty, efflorescent, impalpable, lentiginous, lepidote, sabuline, sporaceous, sporous, pulverizable, friable, crumbly, shivery, pulverized, attrite, in pieces.
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