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embrittle. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
embrittle, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
embrittle in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
embrittle you have here. The definition of the word
embrittle will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
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English
Etymology
From em- + brittle.
Pronunciation
Verb
embrittle (third-person singular simple present embrittles, present participle embrittling, simple past and past participle embrittled)
- (intransitive) To become brittle.
2014 August 17, Jeff Howell, “Home improvements: Repairing and replacing floorboards [print version: Never buy anything from a salesman, 16 August 2014, p. P7]”, in The Daily Telegraph (Property):But I must warn you that chipboard floors are always likely to squeak. The material is still being used in new-builds, but developers now use adhesive to bed and joint it, rather than screws or nails. I suspect the adhesive will eventually embrittle and crack, resulting in the same squeaking problems as before.
- (transitive) To make (something) brittle.
2023 February 27, Peter Coy, “A Gold Mine of Clean Energy May Be Hiding Under Our Feet”, in The New York Times:True, hydrogen has some drawbacks. It’s costly to liquefy or compress for storage. It’s also hard to push through existing gas pipelines because it’s so light that it leaks, and it embrittles the pipes.
Derived terms
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