friab-

(Latin: crumble, fragile, broken into small pieces)

friability (noun), friabilities (pl)
Something that is easily broken or reduced to powder: Sarah could feel the friability of the soil between her fingers which she was going to use to plant the flowers she would have in her apartment.
friable (FRIGH uh buhl) (adjective), more friable, most friable
1. Easily crumbled or reduced to tiny particles: The builders used friable asbestos insulation in the new house.

Sandstone is easy to work with because it consists of friable material.

Sand is used sometimes to make the soil more friable.
2. Etymology: Don't confuse this friable with something that can be "fried", or is "fryable", because fry and friable are unrelated and they come from different roots.

The term fry is from Latin frigere, "to roast to, parch" or to cook food over direct heat in a pan in hot oil or fat; while friable is from Latin friabilis, based on friare, "to crumble".

friableness (s) (noun) (no plural)
Anything that is easily reduced to small particles; such as, certain nutritional products: The friableness of the powdery foodstuff of flour is a result of grinding and sifting the meal of a grain; especially, wheat and is used primarily for baking bread, cakes, pasta, etc.