Substance
plastic Audio
plas·tic [ plas-tik ]
Subclass of:
Polymers
Etymology:
Greek plasso = I mold, or plastikos = related to molding
Definitions related to plastics:
  • A high polymer, usually synthetic, defined by its ability to be molded under heat and pressure in its raw state, and the machined or otherwise trimmed in its hardened state.
    CRISP Thesaurus
    National Institutes of Health, 2006
  • Various high-molecular-weight thermoplastic or thermosetting polymers that are capable of being molded, extruded, drawn, or otherwise shaped and then hardened into a form. It is solid in its finished state.
    NCI
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • Polymeric materials (usually organic) of large molecular weight which can be shaped by flow. Plastic usually refers to the final product with fillers, plasticizers, pigments, and stabilizers included (versus the resin, the homogeneous polymeric starting material). (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed)
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
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This content should not be used in place of medically-reviewed decision support reference material or professional medical advice. Some terms may have alternate or updated definitions not reflected in this set. The definitions on this page should not be considered complete or up to date.