sectile

adj — 3 senses

sectile

adj

/ˈsɛktəl/ · [ˈsɛktᵊɫ̩]

Etymology From Latin sectilis.

1

Capable of being cut; easily cut.

  • Near-synonyms: sectionable, dissectable, dissectible, cuttable, sliceable
  • a fruit consisting of an exterior pulpy or fleshy portion, sarcocarp, enclosing the seed, in this case not hard and bony, as in true drupes, but fleshy and easily sectile.1850, Robert Wight, Illustrations of Indian Botany, volume 2, Myrtaceae:
1 more example
  • The beds, usually soft and sectile, and acted on with immense rapidity by river erosion, being converted into masses of striped jasper, often of great beauty and extreme hardness.1862, Robert Mallet, Great Neapolitan Earthquake of 1857/Part I. Ch. XIX, Part I. Ch. XIX:
2

Chemistry, Geography, Geology, Mineralogy, Natural sciences, Physical sciences Capable of being cut smoothly with a knife.

  • Near-synonym: sliceable
  • The mineral is perfectly sectile and has a shining streak1911, Leonard James Spencer, “Argentite”, in Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th edition, New York, N.Y.: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.:
3

Having the appearance of being divided or broken.

  • A good, though small, example of a sectile pavement will be found in the triforium of the cathedral of Aix-la-Chapelle, being no doubt a portion of that brought by Charles the Great from Rome or Ravenna.1880, William Smith, Samuel Cheetham, A Dictionary of Christian Antiquities:
Derived terms
sectility
Related terms
cross section, cross-section, crosssection, dissect, dissectability, dissection, dissective, sectarian, section, opus sectile

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.