celluloid

American  

[sel-yuh-loid] / ˈsɛl yəˌlɔɪd /

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.

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adjective

1. Informal. of or involving motion pictures.

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

celluloid British  

/ 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

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Etymology

Origin of celluloid

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

Related Words

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