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

A recent study demonstrates that soft skin pads doubling as sensors made from thermoplastic urethane can be efficiently manufactured using 3D printers.

From Science Daily • Apr. 17, 2024

Those machines will make parts from thermoplastic composites, materials that are heated and molded into shape.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 17, 2023

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

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