thermoplastic

American  

[thur-muh-plas-tik] / ˌθɜr məˈplæs tɪk /

adjective

1. soft and pliable when heated, as some plastics, without any change of the inherent properties.

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noun

1. a plastic of this type.

thermoplastic British  

/ ˌθɜːməʊplæˈstɪsɪtɪ, ˌθɜːməʊˈplæstɪk /

adjective

1. (of a material, esp a synthetic plastic or resin) becoming soft when heated and rehardening on cooling without appreciable change of properties Compare thermosetting

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noun

1. a synthetic plastic or resin, such as polystyrene, with these properties

thermoplastic Scientific  

/ thûr′mə-plăs′tĭk /

1. Of or relating to a compound that can be repeatedly made soft and hard through heating and cooling. Polyethylene and polystyrene are thermoplastic resins.

2. Compare thermosetting

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Other Word Forms

• nonthermoplastic adjective
• thermoplasticity noun

Etymology

Origin of thermoplastic

First recorded in 1880–85; thermo- + plastic

Example Sentences

To further improve flexibility, the team incorporated a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer matrix into the ExciPh layer.

From Science Daily • Jan. 15, 2026

The thermoplastic polyurethane rubber-shelled boots are straight out of a world like Roger Rabbit’s, where the lines between cartoons and humans are blurred.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2023

In Renton, new robotic cells automate the manufacture of thermoplastic parts from carbon fiber composites.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 20, 2022

This group plays a Jamaican partner game with heavy, white thermoplastic dominoes — double-sixes — and back in the day it wasn’t unusual for a game to last 24 hours.

From Washington Post • Oct. 4, 2021

The woman, who years later was being treated for breast cancer, was terrified by the thermoplastic restraining device placed over her chest during radiation and which reawakened her feelings of being entrapped.

From New York Times • Apr. 8, 2021