elastic
/ə-/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.59 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Capable of stretching; particularly, capable of stretching so as to return to an original shape or size when force is released.
adj
Made of elastic.
adj
Of clothing, elasticated.
adj
Example Sentences
- "The rope is somewhat elastic, so expect it to give when you pull on it."
- "In trumpets for assisting the hearing, all reverbation of the trumpet must be avoided. It must be made thick, of the least elastic materials, and covered with cloth externally. For all reverbation lasts for a short time, and produces new sounds which mix with those which are coming in."
- "elastic band"
- "Demand for entertainment is more elastic than demand for energy."
- "He could see that she was tastefully, though not richly, dressed, and that she walked with an elastic step that revealed a light heart and the vigor of perfect health. Her face, of course, he could not analyze, since he had caught only the one brief but convincing glimpse of it."
- "It was now about six o'clock, and that first freshness was on the air, which is to the day what youth is to life,—so light, so elastic, so sweet, and so brief:..."
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁elh₂- Proto-Indo-European *h₁l̥h₂-tósder. Ancient Greek ἐλᾰστός (elăstós) Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icus New Latin elasticusbor. French élastiquebor. English elastic From French élastique, from New Latin elasticus (“elastic”), from Ancient Greek ἐλαστός (elastós), alternative form of ἐλατός (elatós, “ductile”) (cf. ἐλατήρ (elatḗr, “a driver, hurler”)), from ἐλαύνω (elaúnō, “to drive, set in motion, push, strike, beat out”).
Origin
- Source language: French
Word Breakdown
- Root: élastique, elasticus, ἐλαστός
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ə-/
- British English: /ɪˈlɑːstɪk/
Usage
- Uncountable
- Canadian usage
- Countable
- American usage
Inflected Forms
more elastic (comparative)
most elastic (superlative)
elastick (alternative, obsolete)
elastics (plural)