plasticizer

noun

plas·​ti·​ciz·​er ˈpla-stə-ˌsī-zər How to pronounce plasticizer (audio)
: one that plasticizes
specifically : a chemical added especially to rubbers and resins to impart flexibility, workability, or stretchability

Examples of plasticizer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The Children's Environmental Health Network lists phthalates, a group of chemicals commonly called plasticizers that are suspected hormone disruptors, as an ingredient found in fragrances. Erica Zurek, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2023 Celluloid depended on Taiwanese camphor as a solvent and plasticizer. Rebecca Altman, The Atlantic, 15 Mar. 2022 Additionally, the team also found 86 percent of the foods contained a plasticizer called DEHT, which was developed to replace phthalates, according to Edwards. Laura Reiley, Anchorage Daily News, 27 Oct. 2021 All of the foods the GWU researchers tested contained one or more phthalates or other plasticizer chemicals, according to the study, which received funding from foundations that promote liberal or left-leaning policies. Laura Reiley, Anchorage Daily News, 27 Oct. 2021 And back in March, a paper by an international team of scientists suggested that astronauts setting up a base on the Moon could use the urea in their urine as a plasticizer to create a concrete-like building material out of lunar soil. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 22 Sep. 2020 Then a 2004 study by Harvard health professor Robert Herrick identified the widespread use of PCBs as a plasticizer in caulk in schools built before 1980, estimating that as many as 14 million students and 26,000 schools could be affected. Author: Tammy Webber, Martha Irvine, Anchorage Daily News, 16 Oct. 2019 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'plasticizer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1925, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of plasticizer was in 1925

Dictionary Entries Near plasticizer

Cite this Entry

“Plasticizer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plasticizer. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.

Medical Definition

plasticizer

noun
plas·​ti·​ciz·​er
variants or British plasticiser
: a chemical added especially to rubbers and resins to impart flexibility, workability, or stretchability

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