Brit"tle (?), a. [OE. britel, brutel, AS. bryttian to dispense, fr. breotan to break; akin to Icel. brytja, Sw. bryta, Dan. bryde. Cf. Brickle.]
Easily broken; apt to break; fragile; not tough or tenacious<-- contrast to flexible; usually hard -->.
Farewell, thou pretty, brittle piece
Of fine-cut crystal.
Cotton.
Brittle silver ore, the mineral stephanite.
© Webster 1913.