friable

adjective

fri·​a·​ble ˈfrī-ə-bəl 

: easily crumbled or pulverized

friable soil

friability

ˌfrī-ə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

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When should you use friable?

Friable entered into English in the mid-1500s, and was borrowed either from Middle French or directly from Latin friabilis. This Latin adjective comes from the verb "friare," which means "to crumble." "Friare" in turn is related to the verb "fricare" ("to rub"), the source of the English noun "friction." "Friable" is used to describe something that can be easily reduced to a powdered form. In contemporary usage, it is often found in the discussion of asbestos. Health concerns about asbestos primarily center around friable asbestos—that is, asbestos that is easily pulverized into tiny fibers which may remain suspended in the air and become a potential health risk to those who inhale them.

Choose the Right Synonym for friable

fragile, frangible, brittle, crisp, friable mean breaking easily.

fragile implies extreme delicacy of material or construction and need for careful handling.

a fragile antique chair

frangible implies susceptibility to being broken without implying weakness or delicacy.

frangible stone used for paving

brittle implies hardness together with lack of elasticity or flexibility or toughness.

brittle bones

crisp implies a firmness and brittleness desirable especially in some foods.

crisp lettuce

friable applies to substances that are easily crumbled or pulverized.

friable soil

Examples of friable in a Sentence

sand dollars are friable, so handle them carefully

Recent Examples on the Web

All beds are mulched to prevent water loss and to keep the soil friable. —Sacramento Bee, 30 Jan. 2024

What is Leaf Mold? Simply put, leaf mold is a valuable soil conditioner that can be made by leaving leaves to decompose into a crumbly, friable mulch or potting ingredient. —Elizabeth Waddington, Treehugger, 7 Sep. 2023

The hammers fell hard on LeMond’s friable frame. —Adrienne So, Wired, 14 Sep. 2021

The paper is cheap, friable, the glue impermanent. —John Warner, chicagotribune.com, 23 Aug. 2021

Does the compost have a dark, friable texture? —oregonlive, 14 Aug. 2021

The meteorite in question is not a hard, dense rock, but actually very soft and friable (crumbly). —Phil Plait, Discover Magazine, 7 Mar. 2011

The rock beneath the massive flood deposits was relatively friable volcanic rock, easily broken and carved. —Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Apr. 2022

They’re turned annually, but otherwise left to their own devices in a tri-year cycle that converts his kitchen scraps, weeds and leaves into moist friable soil rich in micronutrients. —Beth Segal, cleveland, 8 July 2020

Word History

Etymology

Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin friabilis, from friare to crumble — more at friction

First Known Use

1563, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

friable

adjective

fri·​a·​ble ˈfrī-ə-bəl 

: easily crumbled or broken up

friable soil

friability

ˌfrī-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

Medical Definition

friable

adjective

fri·​a·​ble ˈfrī-ə-bəl 

: easily crumbled or pulverized

friable carcinomatous tissue

also : marked by erosion and bleeding

a friable cervix with bleeding on contact

—Pippa Oakeshott et al.

friability

ˌfrī-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

plural friabilities