friable

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: fri=a=ble

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, vulnerable

ROGET 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.