Flakeable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Describes a surface or material that can produce or release small thin pieces when separated
2. Refers to the property of a substance that allows it to be chipped or peeled off in small, slender layers
3. Capable of being broken or separated into fine, thin fragments or layers

Etymology: "Flakeable" is simply "flake" with the suffix "-able" attached, so it means "able to be flaked," in the sense of being easily peeled or split into thin layers. The base word "flake" comes from Middle English and was used for a thin, loosely separable piece of something, such as a flake of snow or a flake of skin. The suffix "-able" comes from Latin "-abilis" through Old French, and it has long been used to form adjectives meaning "capable of being" the action named by the base word. The spelling "flakable," with a single "e" after the "k," is an alternative form of the same word. Both spellings are used, and the meaning is identical in each.