frail

Definition

Easily broken physically; not firm or durable; liable to fail and perish.

Etymology

From Middle English frele, fraill, from Old French fraile, from Latin fragilis. Cognate to fraction, fracture, and doublet of fragile.

Example Sentences

• "Returne with ſpeed, time paſſeth ſwift away, Our life is fraile, and we may dye to day."
• "Its nest is composed of the frailest materials, and is light and small in proportion to the size of the bird"
• "Frail smoke of morning in the air and a sort of muffled hum that is not sound but is not silence either."

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