from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Malleable \Mal"le*a*ble\, a. [F. mall['e]able, fr. LL. malleare
to hammer. See {Malleate}.]
1. Capable of being extended or shaped by beating with a
hammer, or by the pressure of rollers; -- applied to
metals.
[1913 Webster]
2. Capable of being influenced to behave as desired;
tractable; -- used mostly of children.
[PJC]
{Malleable iron}, iron that is capable of extension or of
being shaped under the hammer; decarbonized cast iron. See
under {Iron}.
{Malleable iron castings}, articles cast from pig iron and
made malleable by heating then for several days in the
presence of some substance, as hematite, which deprives
the cast iron of some of its carbon.
[1913 Webster]