Oxford English Dictionary:
Quote:
fungible
Pronunciation: /ˈfʌn(d)ʒɪb(ə)l/
adjective
Law
(of goods contracted for without an individual specimen being specified) replaceable by another identical item; mutually interchangeable.
Derivatives
fungibility
Pronunciation: /-ˈbɪlɪti/
noun
Origin:
late 17th century: from medieval Latin fungibilis, from fungi 'perform, enjoy', with the same sense as fungi vice 'serve in place of'
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Cars are not fungible - I lend you my car, I want that same car back.
Gasoline is fungible - I lend you a gallon of gasoline, any old gallon of gasoline returned is the same.
Books are not fungible - I lend you Fifty Shades of Grey (current NY Times Bestseller), I don't want a copy of Ed McBain's Cop Hater in return (even if I really want to read it).