Plasticised

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. The transformation of a material into a more flexible or malleable form through heat or chemical means
2. The modification of substances to enhance their adaptability and usability by rendering them more pliable or moldable
3. The process by which a substance is altered to increase its flexibility and ease of shaping through various methods, including heat or chemicals

Etymology: "Plasticised" is the past form of "plasticise," a verb built from "plastic" and the suffix "-ise." The "plastic" part traces back to the ancient Greek verb "plassō," meaning "to mould or shape," and to the adjective "plastikos," meaning "fit for moulding." That Greek sense of shaping clay or wax is still the core of the word: something plastic can be pressed into a new form. The suffix "-ise" has a longer journey. It came from Late Latin "-izare," which had itself been borrowed from Greek "-izein," used to form verbs meaning "to make into" or "to treat in a certain way." It passed through Old French and reached English through Middle English, so "-ise" is essentially a Greek verb-making ending that arrived in English by way of Latin and French. Put together, "plasticise" means to make something plastic, that is, pliable or capable of being shaped. "Plasticised" therefore describes something that has been made more flexible through this kind of treatment, the sense the word carries here.

Synonyms: molded, shaped, formed, configured, crafted