plasticity

noun plas·tic·i·ty \pla-ˈsti-sə-tē\

: the quality of being able to be made into different shapes

Full Definition of PLASTICITY

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

: the ability to retain a shape attained by pressure deformation

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

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

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First Known Use of PLASTICITY

circa 1783

Related to PLASTICITY

Synonyms: malleability

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

Medical Dictionary

plasticity

noun plas·tic·i·ty \pla-ˈstis-ət-ē\

plural plas·tic·i·ties

Medical Definition of PLASTICITY

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

: the ability to retain a shape attained by pressure deformation

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

: the capacity for continuous alteration of the neural pathways and synapses of the living brain and nervous system in response to experience or injury that involves the formation of new pathways and synapses and the elimination or modification of existing ones