Standard Lemma guide

thermoplastic

adj · noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • rhymes with -æstɪk
  • CMU ARPABET: TH ER2 M AH0 P L AE1 S T IH0 K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Softening when heated and hardening when cooled, and thus able to be moulded, remelted, and remoulded.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A plastic with this property.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective

Meaning 3

having the property of softening or fusing when heated and of hardening and becoming rigid again when cooled

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • thermoplastic materials can be remelted and cooled time after time without undergoing any appreciable chemical change

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: thermosetting

4

noun

Meaning 4

a material that softens when heated and hardens again when cooled

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: thermoplastic resin

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: plastic

Narrower terms: saran, celluloid

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *gwher-der. Ancient Greek θερμός (thermós)der. English thermo- Proto-Hellenic *pláthyō Proto-Hellenic *pláťťō? Ancient Greek πλάσσω (plássō) Proto-Indo-European *-tis Ancient Greek -τις (-tis) Ancient Greek -σῐς (-sĭs) Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Hellenic *-kos Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) ? Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Hellenic *-tós Ancient Greek -τος (-tos) ▲ Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) ? Ancient Greek -τικός (-tikós) Ancient Greek πλᾰστῐκός (plăstĭkós)der. Latin plasticusder. English plastic English thermoplastic From thermo- + plastic.

Across languages

Translations

27 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: termoplàstic — softening when heated
  • Chinese Mandarin: 熱塑性的 /热塑性的 (rèsùxìng de) — softening when heated
  • Dutch: thermoplastisch — softening when heated
  • Finnish: lämpömuovattava — softening when heated
  • Finnish: termoplastinen — softening when heated
  • French: thermoplastique — softening when heated
  • German: thermoplastisch — softening when heated
  • Greek: θερμοπλαστικός (thermoplastikós) — softening when heated
  • Hungarian: hőre lágyuló — softening when heated
  • Irish: teirmeaplaisteach — softening when heated
  • Māori: rewarau — softening when heated
  • Portuguese: termoplástico — softening when heated
  • Romanian: termoplastic — softening when heated
  • Spanish: termoplástico — softening when heated
  • Welsh: thermoplastig — softening when heated
  • Chinese Mandarin: 熱塑性塑料 /热塑性塑料 (rèsùxìng sùliào) — plastic with this property
  • Czech: termoplast — plastic with this property
  • Dutch: thermoplast — plastic with this property
  • Finnish: kestomuovi — plastic with this property
  • French: thermoplastique — plastic with this property
  • German: Thermoplast — plastic with this property
  • Hungarian: hőre lágyuló műanyag — plastic with this property
  • Māori: kirihou rewarau — plastic with this property
  • Māori: parateke rewarau — plastic with this property
  • Spanish: termoplástico — plastic with this property
  • Swedish: termoplast — plastic with this property
  • Welsh: thermoplastig — plastic with this property