Capable of being hardened, especially referring to metals or materials that can undergo hardening through heat treatment or other processes.
From 'harden' (Old English 'heard' + '-en' verb suffix) combined with '-able' (from Latin 'habilis'), meaning 'capable of being hardened.'
Not all steels are equally hardenable—the carbon content and alloy composition determine how hard a metal can become, which is why blacksmiths historically preferred high-carbon steel for tools and weapons.
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