plastic

9 definitions • 12 examples

an artificial substance that can be shaped when soft into many different forms and has many different uses:

He put a sheet of plastic over the broken window.

Those flowers aren't real - they're made of plastic.

the process or business of producing plastic:

The company has moved into plastics.

credit cards or debit cards, rather than money in the form of notes, coins, or cheques:

I'd prefer a restaurant where they take plastic.

made of plastic:

a plastic bag/box/cup

artificial or false:

I hate the hostesses' false cheerfulness and plastic smiles.

soft enough to be changed into a new shape:

Clay is a very plastic material.

This metal is plastic at high temperatures.

any one of a group of materials made chemically and shaped into different forms for different uses:

[ U ] The cover of the book is actually made of plastic, though it looks like cloth.

[ C ] Plastics can be produced in the form of fibers or sheets and are used in building materials as well as in consumer goods.

soft enough to be shaped into different forms:

Clay is a plastic material.

credit cards or other bank cards that are used to pay for things rather than using cash:

Most people want the convenience of paying with plastic.