friable

[frahy-uh-buhl]

adjective

1. easily crumbled or reduced to powder; crumbly.

   friable rock.

   Synonyms: frangible, fragile

friable

/ ˈfraɪəbəl /

adjective

1. easily broken up; crumbly

Other Word Forms

• friability noun
• friableness noun
• unfriable adjective
• unfriableness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of friable¹

First recorded in 1555–65; from Latin friābilis, equivalent to friā(re) “to rub, crumble” + -ābilis -able

Word History and Origins

Origin of friable¹

C16: from Latin friābilis , from friāre to crumble; related to Latin fricāre to rub down

Example Sentences

The Army Corps, he wrote, “estimates that 50% of the sites on the property contain friable asbestos.”

From Los Angeles Times

But one piece of the more concerning friable asbestos - which can be easily crushed into a powder - was found at a public park in suburb Surry Hills.

From BBC

It is only when the image flips, when reality goes into reverse, that we sense how delicate and friable — and how compulsively romantic — are our constructions of reality.

From Washington Post

In 1936, the name "Ehlers-Danlos syndrome" was proposed and three cardinal symptoms were identified: joints had to be overly bendy, and skin had to be both stretchy and unusually "friable", meaning it crumbled easily.

From BBC

McCarron noted that the friable clay we were walking on would fall apart underfoot in the dry summer months.

From New York Times