In mechanical failure context, what is the English meaning of the French 'céder'?

• A. To Fail
• B. To Yield
• C. To Break
• D. To Collapse

Answer: (A)

In mechanical behavior, céder means the material gives way under load but hasn’t necessarily broken yet. The best English equivalent is to yield, which describes the onset of permanent (plastic) deformation when stress reaches the yield strength. This captures the idea of the material giving way before any fracture or collapse occurs.

So, you’d say the material yields under the applied load, not that it fails, breaks, or collapses at that moment. Those other terms describe later stages or different events: failing is a general rupture of function, breaking is fracture, and collapsing is a complete structural failure.