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THERMOPLASTIC
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
A material that softens when heated and hardens again when cooled
Synonyms:
thermoplastic; thermoplastic resin
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("thermoplastic" is a kind of...):
plastic (generic name for certain synthetic or semisynthetic materials that can be molded or extruded into objects or films or filaments or used for making e.g. coatings and adhesives)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "thermoplastic"):
saran (any of various thermoplastic resins used to make things)
celluloid (highly flammable substance made from cellulose nitrate and camphor; used in e.g. motion-picture and X-ray film; its use has decreased with the development of nonflammable thermoplastics)
Derivation:
thermoplastic (having the property of softening or fusing when heated and of hardening and becoming rigid again when cooled)
II. (adjective)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Having the property of softening or fusing when heated and of hardening and becoming rigid again when cooled
Example:
thermoplastic materials can be remelted and cooled time after time without undergoing any appreciable chemical change
Classified under:
Antonym:
thermosetting (having the property of becoming permanently hard and rigid when heated or cured)
Derivation:
thermoplastic (a material that softens when heated and hardens again when cooled)
