Celluloid (Noun)
Meaning 1
Highly flammable substance made from cellulose nitrate and camphor; used in e.g. motion-picture and X-ray film; its use has decreased with the development of nonflammable thermoplastics.
Classification
Nouns denoting substances.
Examples
- The early days of cinema were marked by the use of highly flammable celluloid film, which often caused devastating fires in movie theaters.
- The introduction of safety film in the 1950s gradually phased out the use of celluloid in the film industry.
- Before the advent of modern plastics, celluloid was a popular material for making photographic film, X-ray film, and even combs and other personal items.
- Many old movie palaces had to be retrofitted with fire-suppression systems to mitigate the risks associated with storing and projecting celluloid film.
- The switch to polyester-based film in the 1970s finally eliminated the need for celluloid, a notoriously hazardous substance that had been the norm for nearly a century.
Hypernyms
Meaning 2
A medium that disseminates moving pictures; "theater pieces transferred to celluloid"; "this story would be good cinema"; "film coverage of sporting events".
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.