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A kind of brittle limestone. [Prov. Eng.] Kirwan.

re element, recently discovered (1885), in a silver ore (argyrodite) at Freiberg. It is a brittle, silver-white metal, chemically intermediate between the metals and nonmetals, resembles tin, and is in general identical with the predicted ekasilicon. Symbol Ge. Atomic weight 72.3.

A hard, brittle, translucent, and commonly transparent substance, white or colored, having a conchoidal fracture, and made by fusing together sand or silica with lime, potash, soda, or lead oxide. It is used for window panes and mirrors, for articles of table and culinary use, for lenses, and various articles of orname…

Resembling glass in its properties, as in smoothness, brittleness, or transparency; as, a glassy stream; a glassy surface; the glassy deep.

A hard brittle brownish gelatin, obtained by boiling to a jelly the skins, hoofs, etc., of animals. When gently heated with water, it becomes viscid and tenaceous, and is used as a cement for uniting substances. The name is also given to other adhesive or viscous substances. Bee glue. See under Bee. -- Fish glue, a st…

A siliceous stone, a variety of quartz, closely resembling flint, but more brittle; -- called also chert.

More or less brittle when heated; as, hot-short iron.

ate by cold; frozen water. It is a white or transparent colorless substance, crystalline, brittle, and viscoidal. Its specific gravity (0.92, that of water at 4° C. being 1.0) being less than that of water, ice floats.

en isolated it is in the form of dark gray metallic scales, resembling plumbago, soft but brittle, and emitting a chlorinelike odor. Symbol I. Atomic weight 126.5. If heated, iodine volatilizes in beautiful violet vapors.

the same group as platinum, which it much resembles, being silver-white, but harder, and brittle, and indifferent to most corrosive agents. With the exception of osmium, it is the heaviest substance known, its specific gravity being 22.4. Symbol Ir. Atomic weight 192.5.

by removing a portion of the carbon or other impurities from cast iron, rendering it less brittle, and to some extent malleable. -- Meteoric iron (Chem.), iron forming a large, and often the chief, ingredient of meteorites. It invariably contains a small amount of nickel and cobalt. Cf. Meteorite. -- Pig iron, the fo…

The quality or state of being malleable; -- opposed to friability and brittleness. Locke.

A mineral related to the micas, but low in silica and yielding brittle folia with pearly luster.

h and are often very fragile; -- called also Ophiuroida and Ophiuridea. See Illust. under Brittle star.

The hydroxide of potassium hydrate, a hard white brittle substance, KOH, having strong caustic and alkaline properties; -- hence called also caustic potash.

Hot-short; brittle when red-hot; -- said of certain kinds of iron. -- Red"-short`ness, n.

To be brittle when red-hot; to be red-short. Moxon.

of the light platinum group, found associated with platinum ores, and isolated as a hard, brittle steel-gray metal which is very infusible. Symbol Ru. Atomic weight 103.5. Specific gravity 12.26. See Platinum metals, under Platinum.

, the fruit of Achras Sapota. It is about the size of an ordinary quince, having a rough, brittle, dull brown rind, the flesh being of a dirty yellowish white color, very soft, and deliciously sweet. Called also naseberry. It is eatable only when it begins to be spotted, and is much used in desserts.…

A starfish, or brittle star.