vulcanization
CulturalExplanation
The process of treating rubber so it can be used to make things like car tires is vulcanization. Before vulcanization, rubber is soft and pliable. After this treatment, it becomes strong and hard. The origin of the word vulcanization provides a clue about its meaning: it comes from Vulcan, the Roman god of fire. It won't surprise you to learn that the process of vulcanization involves extreme heat, in addition to the application of chemicals (usually sulphur). The technique was invented by Charles Goodyear, whose contributions were honored 40 years after his death, when the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company was named after him.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
One discovered vulcanization and transformed rubber into a consumer product.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026
Charles Goodyear discovered vulcanization when a mixture of natural rubber and sulphur accidentally fell onto a hot surface.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 14, 2026
The Akron Beacon Journal reports the portrait of the man who discovered rubber vulcanization was recently unveiled by the University of Akron’s Archival Services of University Libraries.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 7, 2019
In 1850, Charles Goodyear created the vulcanization of rubber, which led to bouncier tennis balls and the growth of lawn tennis, which became the modern game.
From New York Times ● Sep. 3, 2016
The heat used in vulcanization reaches as much as three hundred degrees Fahrenheit.
From Great Inventions and Discoveries by Piercy, Willis Duff
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
