plastic flow

noun

1. deformation of a material that remains rigid under stresses of less than a certain intensity but that behaves under severer stresses approximately as a Newtonian fluid.

Word History and Origins

Origin of plastic flow¹

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

However, in this season of overindulgence, I’m adopting other ways to stem the plastic flow, like resisting the cheap plastic stocking stuffers that my kids ask for on the checkout line.

From Time