plastic
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plastic
- /ˈplæstɪk/ UK
- [ˈpʰlastɪk] UK
- /ˈplæstɪk/ US
- [ˈpʰlæstɪk] US
Rhymes with -æstɪk
Where it comes from
From Latin plasticus (“of molding”), from Ancient Greek πλαστικός (plastikós), from πλάσσω (plássō, “to mold, form”). Doublet of plastique.
noun plastics · plastick
- A synthetic, solid, hydrocarbon-based polymer, whether thermoplastic or thermosetting. Plastics are energy-rich substances, which is why many of them burn so readily. Any organism that could unlock and use that energy would do well in the Anthropocene. Terrestrial bacteria and fungi which can manage this trick are already familiar to experts in the field. Dr Mincer and Dr Amaral-Zettl
- Credit or debit cards used in place of cash to buy goods and services. I knew the war between cash and credit cards was over and plastic had won, hands down, when even Mickey D's started taking credit and debit cards.
- Insincerity; fakeness.
- A person who is fake or arrogant, or believes that they are better than the rest of the population; a narcissistic, affected person. Cady: You know I couldn't invite you. I had to pretend to be plastic. Janis: Hey, buddy, you're not pretending anymore. You're plastic. Cold, shiny, hard plastic.
- An instance of plastic surgery. Somebody's had a plastic done on his nose, I think, or else somebody bent it out of shape since I last saw it.
- A sculptor, moulder.
- Any solid but malleable substance.
- Synonym of Plastic Paddy.
adjective more plastic · most plastic · plastick
- Capable of being moulded; malleable, flexible, pliant. the rage […] betook itself at last to certain missile weapons; which, though from their plastic nature they threatened neither the loss of life or of limb, were, however, sufficiently dreadful to a well-dressed lady.
- Producing tissue.
- Creative, formative. Benign Creator! let thy plastic hand dispose its own effect
- Capable of adapting to varying conditions; characterized by environmental adaptability.
- Of or pertaining to the inelastic, non-brittle, deformation of a material.
- Made of plastic. A canister of flour from the kitchen had been thrown at the looking-glass and lay like trampled snow over the remains of a decent blue suit with the lining ripped out which lay on top of the ruin of a plastic wardrobe.
- Inferior or not the real thing. The Hippie has been replaced by the pseudo-Hippie, the plastic Hippie, the weekend Hippie
- Fake, insincere, especially in a shallow and conformist way pretending to smoothness and glossy flawlessness. He kissed the white woman once, and it was so artificial, so plastic (that's the word, plastic) that one wondered why did they bother at all.
- Escaped from captivity, rather than wild. A superb — and apparently wild, not plastic — Baikal Teal was located at RSPB Greylake in Somerset[.]
- Introduced, rather than native or naturally vagrant. I was checking into my motel while a Red-whiskered Bulbul called outside – a Queensland plastic rarity which was somewhat amusing.
