If a metal workpiece is described as "malleable," what does this most nearly mean?

The term "malleable" refers to a material's ability to be deformed or shaped under compressive stress without breaking. This property is particularly associated with metals, which can be hammered or rolled into thin sheets. When a workpiece is described as malleable, it indicates that the metal can be manipulated into various forms without losing its structural integrity.

Understanding malleability is crucial in metalworking and manufacturing because it allows manufacturers to create complex shapes and structures that would be impossible with materials that are brittle or hard. In contrast, being brittle suggests a tendency to fracture rather than deform, and hard materials resist deformation entirely. "Warped" relates to an irregular shape rather than the ability to be reshaped, which does not apply to the definition of malleability. Thus, the characterization of a metal workpiece as malleable clearly aligns with its capacity to be shaped.