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Glite Dictionary
inextensible

inextensible

9.8
Does not stretch or become longer
  • adjective
  • /ˌɪnɪkˈstɛnsəbl/
translation icon : inextensible
  • The rope is inextensible, meaning it cannot be stretched to reach the next branch.

Examples

  • The pressure measuring insoles are flexible in that they will easily wrap around a cylinder, but being inextensible, they are not capable of following a doubly curved surface such as a sphere.

    Academic text (1994)

  • Some materials are inextensible, making them unsuitable for applications that require flexibility.

  • Due to its inextensible nature, the metal rod remained perfectly straight under pressure.

Synonyms

nonextensile
vsinextensible
  • Specialized
9.9

Cannot be stretched, like some cloth or cable

is identical in meaning but differs in written form

Antonyms

stretchable
1 2.6

Becomes longer when you pull it and then goes back to its original size

extensible
6.3

Can stretch to become longer, like a tongue or tape

How Extensible

stretchable
1 2.6
flexible
31 3.4
rigid
35 4.0
inextensible
9.8

Surface Forms

inextensible positive

Morphology

inextensible = extensible (semi-transparent) = in + extens + ible

The prefix 'in-' straightforwardly negates 'extensible', yielding the meaning 'not extensible'.

Etymology

The word inextensible is made of the prefix in- meaning 'not' and the part extend meaning 'to stretch' or make longer. So inextensible means 'not able to be stretched', which is why we use it for things like ropes or cables that keep a fixed length.