Plasticity Meaning

/ˌplæs.ˈtɪs.ɪ.ti/
B2

Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.

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nounThe quality or state of being plastic.

nounThe property of a solid body whereby it undergoes a permanent change in shape or size when subjected to a stress exceeding a particular value (the yield value).

Pilewort exhibits great phenotypic plasticity, its size and growth habit varying wildly on different sites.
The brain shows high plasticity after a stroke injury.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The clay's high ____ allowed the potter to shape it very thinly.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ of the young brain allows children to learn new languages far more easily than adults.

Etymology tree Proto-Hellenic *plátʰyō Proto-Hellenic *pláťťō? Ancient Greek πλάσσω (plássō) Proto-Indo-European *-tis Ancient Greek -τις (-tis) Ancient Greek -σῐς (-sĭs) Proto-Indo-European *-kos Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) ? Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Hellenic *-tós Ancient Greek -τος (-tos) ▲ Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) ? Ancient Greek -τικός (-tikós) Ancient Greek πλᾰστῐκός (plăstĭkós)der. Latin plasticusder. English plastic Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-ts Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂ts Latin -itāsder. Old French -itebor. Middle English -ite English -ity English plasticity From plastic + -ity.

"In place of a stinger, a male bee or wasp has hardened genitalia […] used for grasping the female during mating and transferring sperm. Male genitalia are a showcase of structural plasticity." — 2016, Justin O. Schmidt, The Sting of the Wild, Johns Hopkins University Press, →ISBN, page 15:

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CEFR Practice Quiz
The clay's high ____ allowed the potter to shape it very thinly.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ of the young brain allows children to learn new languages far more easily than adults.

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