plastic

[plas-tik] /ˈplæs tɪk/
noun
1.
Often, plastics. any of a group of synthetic or natural organic materials that may be shaped when soft and then hardened, including many types of resins, resinoids, polymers, cellulose derivatives, casein materials, and proteins: used in place of other materials, as glass, wood, and metals, in construction and decoration, for making many articles, as coatings, and, drawn into filaments, for weaving. They are often known by trademark names, as Bakelite, Vinylite, or Lucite.
2.
a credit card, or credit cards collectively, usually made of plastic:
He had a whole pocketful of plastic.
3.
money, payment, or credit represented by the use of a credit card or cards.
4.
something, or a group of things, made of or resembling plastic:
The entire meal was served on plastic.
adjective
5.
made of plastic.
6.
capable of being molded or of receiving form:
clay and other plastic substances.
7.
produced by molding:
plastic figures.
8.
having the power of molding or shaping formless or yielding material:
the plastic forces of nature.
9.
being able to create, especially within an art form; having the power to give form or formal expression:
the plastic imagination of great poets and composers.
10.
Fine Arts.
  1. concerned with or pertaining to molding or modeling; sculptural.
  2. relating to three-dimensional form or space, especially on a two-dimensional surface.
  3. pertaining to the tools or techniques of drawing, painting, or sculpture:
    the plastic means.
  4. characterized by an emphasis on formal structure:
    plastic requirements of a picture.
11.
pliable; impressionable:
the plastic mind of youth.
12.
giving the impression of being made of or furnished with plastic:
We stayed at one of those plastic motels.
13.
artificial or insincere; synthetic; phony:
jeans made of cotton, not some plastic substitute; a plastic smile.
14.
lacking in depth, individuality, or permanence; superficial, dehumanized, or mass-produced:
a plastic society interested only in material acquisition.
15.
of or pertaining to the use of credit cards:
plastic credit; plastic money.
16.
Biology, Pathology, formative.
17.
Surgery. concerned with or pertaining to the remedying or restoring of malformed, injured, or lost parts:
a plastic operation.
Origin
1625-35; 1900-10 for def 1; < Latin plasticus that may be molded < Greek plastikós. See -plast, -ic
Related forms
plastically, plasticly, adverb
nonplastic, adjective, noun
unplastic, adjective
Synonyms
11. pliant, flexible, amenable.

-plastic

1.
a combining form occurring in chloroplastic; protoplastic.
Origin
see plastic
Examples from the web for plastic
  • Pots made of thick plastic or glazed terra-cotta retain moisture well as do wood tubs.
  • plastic bottles are convenient for grabbing water or soft drinks on the go.
  • Many clothing lines boast fabrics made from recycled plastic beverage containers.
  • The compounds escape from treated plastic and fabrics in dust particles or as gases that cling to dust.
  • Crucially, a working cell can be made by spreading a thin layer of the stuff on another material, such as a sheet of plastic.
  • Explore on cruiser bikes, then snuggle under duvets made of recycled plastic.
  • Choose figs that are soft and unblemished, wrap them loosely in a plastic bag, and refrigerate.
  • Some planned makeshift aboveground sanctuaries made of plastic sheeting and duct tape.
  • Half of the plastic produced is used only once before being discarded.
  • The university is now offering reusable plastic sporks to its students for a dollar.
British Dictionary definitions for plastic

plastic

/ˈplæstɪk; ˈplɑːs-/
noun
1.
any one of a large number of synthetic usually organic materials that have a polymeric structure and can be moulded when soft and then set, esp such a material in a finished state containing plasticizer, stabilizer, filler, pigments, etc. Plastics are classified as thermosetting (such as Bakelite) or thermoplastic (such as PVC) and are used in the manufacture of many articles and in coatings, artificial fibres, etc Compare resin (sense 2)
2.
short for plastic money
adjective
3.
made of plastic
4.
easily influenced; impressionable: the plastic minds of children
5.
capable of being moulded or formed
6.
(fine arts)
  1. of or relating to moulding or modelling: the plastic arts
  2. produced or apparently produced by moulding: the plastic draperies of Giotto's figures
7.
having the power to form or influence: the plastic forces of the imagination
8.
(biology) of or relating to any formative process; able to change, develop, or grow: plastic tissues
9.
of or relating to plastic surgery
10.
(slang) superficially attractive yet unoriginal or artificial: plastic food
Derived Forms
plastically, adverb
Word Origin
C17: from Latin plasticus relating to moulding, from Greek plastikos, from plassein to form

-plastic

combining form
1.
growing or forming: neoplastic
Word Origin
from Greek plastikos; see plastic
Word Origin and History for plastic
adj.

1630s, "capable of shaping or molding," from Latin plasticus, from Greek plastikos "able to be molded, pertaining to molding, fit for molding," also in reference to the arts, from plastos "molded, formed," verbal adjective from plassein "to mold" (see plasma). Surgical sense of "remedying a deficiency of structure" is first recorded 1839 (in plastic surgery). Meaning "made of plastic" is from 1909. Picked up in counterculture slang with meaning "false, superficial" (1963). Plastic explosive (n.) attested from 1894.

n.

1905, "solid substance that can be molded," originally of dental molds, from plastic (adj.). Main current meaning, "synthetic product made from oil derivatives," first recorded 1909, coined by Leo Baekeland (see bakelite).

plastic in Medicine

plastic plas·tic (plās'tĭk)
adj.

  1. Capable of being shaped or formed.

  2. Easily influenced; impressionable.

  3. Capable of building tissue; formative.

n.
Any of various organic compounds produced by polymerization, capable of being molded, extruded, cast into various shapes and films, or drawn into filaments used as textile fibers.
plas·tic'i·ty (plās-tĭs'ĭ-tē) n.

-plastic suff.
Forming; growing; changing; developing: neoplastic.

plastic in Science
plastic
(plās'tĭk)
Noun Any of numerous substances that can be shaped and molded when subjected to heat or pressure. Plastics are easily shaped because they consist of long-chain molecules known as polymers, which do not break apart when flexed. Plastics are usually artificial resins but can also be natural substances, as in certain cellular derivatives and shellac. Plastics can be pressed into thin layers, formed into objects, or drawn into fibers for use in textiles. Most do not conduct electricity well, are low in density, and are often very tough. Polyvinyl chloride, methyl methacrylate, and polystyrene are plastics. See more at thermoplastic, thermosetting.

Adjective Capable of being molded or formed into a shape.

Slang definitions & phrases for plastic

plastic

adjective

False and superficial; meretricious; hoked-up, slick, phony: in California, a plastic society (1960s+ Counterculture)

noun

A credit card; monetary credit afforded by the use of credit cards (1979+)

[second sense fr plastic money, which is found by 1974]