Mouldability

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The property of a substance that enables it to be easily shaped or formed into various configurations
2. The characteristic that allows a material to be readily manipulated or fashioned into different designs or structures
3. The quality of a material that permits it to be shaped or formed with ease

Etymology: "Mouldability" is a straightforward compound: the noun "mould" (in the sense of shaping a material) combined with the suffix "-ability", which turns an adjective or verb into a noun meaning the quality of being able to undergo that action. So "mouldability" is the quality of being mouldable, that is, of being capable of being shaped. The suffix "-ability" comes from Latin "-abilitas", a noun-forming ending built on "-abilis", meaning "able to be" or "capable of being". English adopted the pattern extensively, pairing it with native and borrowed verbs such as "bendable" and "workable" to produce abstract nouns like this one. Because the base verb "mould" is itself of Old French origin, the whole word is a blend of French and Latin elements assembled in English.