celluloid

American  

[sel-yuh-loid] / ˈsɛl yəˌlɔɪd /

noun

1. a tough, highly flammable substance consisting essentially of nitrocellulose and camphor: once used in the manufacture of motion-picture and x-ray film, it is now used in a limited line of other products, including guitar picks, musical instruments, and table tennis balls.

2. motion-picture film.

   He was an intense director and a scrupulous editor, famous for leaving piles of celluloid on the cutting-room floor.

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adjective

1. Informal. of or involving motion pictures.

   a star of the stage who was never lured into the celluloid industry.

celluloid British  

/ ˈsɛljʊˌlɔɪd /

noun

1. a flammable thermoplastic material consisting of cellulose nitrate mixed with a plasticizer, usually camphor: used in sheets, rods, and tubes for making a wide range of articles

2. 1. a cellulose derivative used for coating film

   2. one of the transparent sheets on which the constituent drawings of an animated film are prepared

   3. a transparent sheet used as an overlay in artwork

   4. cinema film

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Etymology

Origin of celluloid

First recorded in 1870–75; cellul(ose) + -oid; formerly a trademark

Explanation

Celluloid is a type of plastic that’s transparent and flammable. Until recently, most movies were filmed on celluloid. Celluloid is a name for film used in shooting movies. Because of its use in making films, this term came to stand for movies in general. Its days in the projection room are now pretty much finished — due to the rise of digital filming — but the figurative meaning lives on, wherever stars aspire. For example, you could say a TV actor was making the move from the small screen to celluloid. Besides movies, celluloid is used in shooting x-rays.

Example Sentences

While Bombay brought cinema to India, cinema lived on its streets and not just on celluloid.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

The dialogue-heavy chamber piece -- basically a theatrical play on celluloid -- is the fruit of Hawke's decades-long collaboration with director Richard Linklater, which began more than 30 years ago with 1995's "Before Sunrise."

From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026

There is a virtual crowd of female editors reminiscing and reflecting on Ms. Hillgrove and her work, and the fact that there was a celluloid ceiling in the film industry.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026

Roberts isn’t just chewing the scenery; she’s devouring the celluloid and licking her chops, hungry for more.

From Salon • Sep. 25, 2025

In syrupy light Luce was feeding the celluloid through the sprocket wheel.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Related Words

• cinema
• feature
• film
• flick
• motion picture
• picture
• show
• videotape