plasticity

plas·tic·i·ty

noun \pla-ˈsti-sə-tē\

Definition of PLASTICITY

1

: the quality or state of being plastic; especially : capacity for being molded or altered

2

: the ability to retain a shape attained by pressure deformation

3

: the capacity of organisms with the same genotype to vary in developmental pattern, in phenotype, or in behavior according to varying environmental conditions

4

: the capacity for continuous alteration of the neural pathways and synapses of the living brain and nervous system in response to experience or injury

Examples of PLASTICITY

1. <we chose that type of clay for its greater plasticity>

First Known Use of PLASTICITY

circa 1783

Related to PLASTICITY

Synonyms: malleability

Related Words: adaptability; ductility, pliability, pliableness, pliancy, pliantness, suppleness; elasticity, flexibility, limberness, resilience, workability, workableness

Near Antonyms: inflexibility, rigidity, stiffness

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Other Genetics Terms

chimera, hermaphrodite

Rhymes with PLASTICITY

basicity, causticity, centricity, chronicity, clonicity, conicity, cyclicity, ethnicity, facticity, felicity, lubricity, mendicity, publicity, rhythmicity, seismicity, simplicity, spasticity, sphericity, tonicity, toxicity, triplicity