plastic

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   capable of being molded or modeled, especially of earth or clay or other soft material

   Plastic substances such as wax or clay are perfect for sculpting.

2. 2
   adj

   capable of being influenced or formed

   the plastic minds of children

3. 3
   noun

   a card, or debit, card

   Do you take plastic?

4. 4
   noun

   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-Zettler found evidence of them on their marine plastic, too.

5. 5
   noun

   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.

6. 6
   noun

   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.

7. 7
   noun

   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.

8. 8
   adj

   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.

Etymology

From Latin plasticus (“of molding”), from Ancient Greek πλαστικός (plastikós), from πλάσσω (plássō, “to mold, form”). Doublet of plastique.