celluloid

[ sel-yuh-loid ]

noun

1. a tough, highly flammable substance consisting essentially of nitrocellulose and camphor: once used in the manufacture of motion-picture and x-ray film, it is now used in a limited line of other products, including guitar picks, musical instruments, and table tennis balls.
2. motion-picture film:

   He was an intense director and a scrupulous editor, famous for leaving piles of celluloid on the cutting-room floor.

adjective

1. Informal. of or involving motion pictures:

   a star of the stage who was never lured into the celluloid industry.

celluloid

/ ˈsɛljʊˌlɔɪd /

noun

1. a flammable thermoplastic material consisting of cellulose nitrate mixed with a plasticizer, usually camphor: used in sheets, rods, and tubes for making a wide range of articles
2. 1. a cellulose derivative used for coating film
   2. one of the transparent sheets on which the constituent drawings of an animated film are prepared
   3. a transparent sheet used as an overlay in artwork
   4. cinema film

Word History and Origins

Origin of celluloid¹

First recorded in 1870–75; cellul(ose) + -oid; formerly a trademark

Example Sentences

But as the authors show in this 240-page book, women like Louise Brooks, Ida Lupino and Katharine Hepburn blew through the celluloid ceiling and lifted up generations of women in the movies.

From Los Angeles Times

Singer demonstrates himself to be a mad scientist of celluloid sensation, creating a hybridized monster of influences, images, sounds and emotions that you won’t soon forget.

From Los Angeles Times

The year it opened coincided with the first projected celluloid film.

From New York Times

The dude showed me that L.A. — the parts often seen on celluloid — making it effortless for me to settle in.

From Los Angeles Times

Take the Kewpie Doll, which used to be made out of fragile bisque porcelain until the invention of celluloid turned her future around.

From New York Times

Related Words

• cinema
• feature
• film
• flick
• motion picture
• picture
• show
• videotape