Bakelite

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A synthetic polymer formed from phenol and formaldehyde, used extensively in creating durable consumer goods and electrical components
2. This material, produced through the reaction of phenol and formaldehyde, is notable for being a versatile plastic, commonly found in various household and industrial applications
3. A hard, heat-resistant plastic made by chemically bonding phenol with formaldehyde, used in electrical insulators and durable items

Etymology: Leo Baekeland, a Belgian-born chemist working in New York, spent years trying to make a substitute for shellac, the resin used to insulate electrical wiring. In the early twentieth century he succeeded instead with a hard, heat-set material made from phenol and formaldehyde, the first fully synthetic plastic. The material took its name from him, with the English suffix "-ite" (used for minerals and manufactured substances) attached to his surname. The name shows a common pattern: a person's surname turned into a brand and then a general noun. Because the new material could be moulded, insulated and resisted heat and electricity, it became the basis for telephones, radio casings, switches and countless household objects, and "bakelite" soon came to stand for the whole class of such plastics.