Plastic
/ˈplæstɪk/
nounadjectiveB1
Definition
As a noun, plastic is a man-made material that can be formed into many shapes and is used to make many everyday items. As an adjective, plastic describes objects made of this material or something that is flexible or able to change shape easily.
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See It in Action
Material made from synthetic substances, used for making many objects
- •The water bottle is made of plastic.
- •Plastic is used to make bags, toys, and containers.
- •Recycling plastic helps protect the environment.
Describing something made from plastic or able to be shaped or changed
- •She has plastic gloves to keep her hands clean.
- •The sculpture is plastic and can be molded easily.
- •His expression was plastic, not showing real feelings.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "plastic" like "soft" or "bendable" (A1 words), but it becomes hard and keeps its shape when cooled or dried.
- ✓Picture a plastic bottle: smooth, light, and can be shaped into many forms.
- ✓It's the feeling when you play with modeling clay that you can shape and then it becomes hard.
- ✓Sounds like "PLAS-tik" → imagine a plastic bag floating softly in the wind.
- ✓Remember toys or containers made from plastic that are light and colorful.
- ✓NOT like "glass" (hard, breaks easily), plastic is lighter and less easy to break.
- ✓NOT like "metal" (heavy, cold), plastic is light and often warm to touch.
- ✓As an adjective, NOT like "fixed" or "rigid" — plastic things can be flexible or easily changed.
- ✓Plastic can also mean something not real or natural, like a plastic smile that is not genuine.
Try Other Words
- •Synthetic material: man-made material (Use when emphasizing the artificial origin)
- •Rubber: flexible, elastic material (Use when the object is more stretchy than plastic)
- •Resin: natural or synthetic substance used to make plastics (Use in technical or scientific contexts)
- •Flexible: able to bend without breaking (Use when describing the ability to change shape, not the material itself)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "plast-" (from Greek "plastos" meaning molded or formed) + "-ic" (adjective suffix)
- •Etymology: From Greek "plastikos," meaning capable of being shaped or molded
- •Historical development: The word came into English in the 19th century to describe materials that can be shaped
- •Modern usage: Used for a wide range of synthetic materials and to describe anything that can be shaped or changed easily
Reflect & Connect
•How does the use of plastic materials affect our daily life and the environment?
•Can the word "plastic" describe things other than materials? How does that change its meaning?
Fill in the blanks
1.Many toys are made of plastic because it is ___ and easy to shape.
2.Plastic bottles can cause problems if they are not ___ properly.
3.When something is described as plastic, it means it can be ___ or changed easily.
4.The artist used plastic to create a ___ sculpture that could be reshaped.
5.A plastic smile often means the person is not showing ___ feelings.
6.Plastic is lighter than metal, so it is often used to make ___ objects.
7.Unlike glass, plastic does not ___ easily when dropped.