A term used to describe a metal which may be machined at relatively high speed without the development of excessive heat and from which the chips will break off easily leaving a smooth surface.

The property of materials that makes it easy to cut.

Pertains to the machining characteristics of an alloy to which one or more ingredients have been introduced to give small broken chips, lower power consumption, better surface finish, and longer tool life; among such additions are sulfur or lead to steel, lead to brass, lead and bismuth to aluminum, and sulfur or selenium to stainless steel.