celluloid

noun

cel·​lu·​loid ˈsel-yə-ˌlȯid 

1

: a tough flammable thermoplastic composed essentially of cellulose nitrate and camphor

2

: a motion-picture film

a work … making its third appearance on celluloid

—John McCarten

celluloid adjective

Examples of celluloid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Indian actor Rajkummar Rao (Shahid, Aligarh) ventures into the commercial space of the angry young man on the celluloid with his latest Hindi release Maalik and the experiment has caught the attention of fans. —Sweta Kaushal, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025

But hey, what's a list of disaster movies without at least one disaster on celluloid? —Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 3 July 2025

The movie carries four miles of celluloid film, which weighs a whopping 259 pounds. —Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 11 Dec. 2024

The immersive park officially opened to big crowds May 22 eager to see attractions built around training dragons, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Super Nintendo video games and Dracula, Frankenstein and other celluloid creeps and monsters from the movies. —Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

from Celluloid, a trademark

First Known Use

1870, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for celluloid

• adenoid
• alkaloid
• amoeboid
• amyloid
• aneroid
• anthropoid
• arachnoid
• asteroid
• benzenoid
• carcinoid
• coronoid
• humanoid

Kids Definition

celluloid

noun

cel·​lu·​loid ˈsel-(y)ə-ˌlȯid 

1

: a tough flammable plastic

2

: a motion-picture film

watch a western on celluloid