malleable

Definition

Able to be shaped or bent without breaking; easily influenced or changed. Used for metals that can be hammered thin and for people or ideas that are adaptable.

Etymology

From Latin 'malleabilis' meaning 'that can be hammered' (from 'malleus' meaning 'hammer'). Originally a metallurgical term describing metals that could be shaped by hammering, it extended to describe adaptable personalities and flexible ideas.

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