Hypertext Webster Gateway: "friable"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Friable \Fri"a*ble\, 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. ``Friable
ground.'' --Evelyn. ``Soft and friable texture.'' --Paley. --
{Fri'a*ble*ness}, n.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
friable
adj 1: easily broken into small fragments or reduced to powder;
"friable sandstone"; "friable carcinomatous tissue";
"friable curds formed in the stomach"
2: (used of soil) loose and large-grained in consistency;
"light sandy soil" [syn: {light}, {sandy}]
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