malleable

Everyday

1. (science) Able to be hammered, pressed or bent into a new shape without breaking, like gold, copper or clay. tree →
2. Easily changed or influenced by other people: «young minds are malleable». tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons on materials, «malleable» is a key property of metals: you can beat them into thin sheets (like aluminium foil or gold leaf). Non-metals are often brittle instead. In everyday talk, a malleable person is easy to persuade. Related science words: «ductile» (can be pulled into wires), «brittle» (breaks easily).

Examples

• Gold is so malleable it can be hammered thinner than paper. tree →
• Metals are malleable, but glass is brittle. tree →
• Clay is malleable when it is wet. tree →
• Aluminium foil shows that aluminium is malleable. tree →
• A blacksmith heats iron to make it more malleable. tree →
• Plasticine is malleable, so you can shape it easily. tree →
• Young children's ideas can be quite malleable. tree →
• We tested which materials were malleable by gently hitting them with a hammer. tree →

Note

Adjective; noun «malleability». Spelling: double l, «-able»: malleable. Opposite in science: brittle. Do not confuse with «mallet» (a hammer) – though both come from the same Latin word for hammer. Not a maths word.