plastic
/ˈplæstɪk/ · plas·tic
noun
- A synthetic, solid, hydrocarbon-based polymer, whether thermoplastic or thermosetting. The toy was made from a durable plastic that could be molded into any shape.
- Credit or debit cards used in place of cash to buy goods and services. She paid for her groceries with plastic, avoiding the need for cash.
- Fakeness, or a person who is fake or arrogant, or believes that they are better than the rest of the population. His attitude was pure plastic, as if he were better than everyone else.
adjective
- Capable of being moulded; malleable, flexible, pliant. The plastic material was soft enough to be bent into any shape.
- Producing tissue. The surgeon used a plastic scaffold to support new tissue growth.
- Creative, formative. Her plastic approach to problem solving allowed her to devise innovative solutions.
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Did you know? The term "plastic" was coined by Sir John Herschel in 1839 to describe a new class of synthetic materials that could be molded, and it later became a generic term for any flexible material.