embrittlement: Meaning and Definition of

em•brit•tle•ment

Pronunciation: (em-brit'l-munt), [key]
— n.
  1. the act or process of becoming brittle, as steel from exposure to certain environments or heat treatment or because of the presence of impurities.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.