embrittle
English
Etymology
Pronunciation
Audio (US): (file)
Verb
embrittle (third-person singular simple present embrittl, present participle ing, simple past and past participle embrittled)
- To become or make 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)[1]:
- 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.