Celluloid
/ˈsɛl.jə.lɔɪd/noun
A lightweight, moldable plastic made chiefly from cellulose nitrate and camphor, formerly used for photographic film and decorative objects.
Did you know?Early celluloid film was notoriously flammable, and projection booths sometimes used fire-resistant enclosures because a reel could ignite explosively.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kel-
“To cover, conceal, or hide; the reconstructed root behind several Latin words connected with enclosure.”
Classical Latin
Latin
cella
“A small room, chamber, or enclosed space.”
Late Latin
Latin
cellula
“A little room or small compartment; the diminutive form of cella.”
19th Century
French/English
cellulose
“A substance forming the walls of plant cells; the term was built from cellula with the chemical suffix -ose.”
1860s
English
celluloid
“A coined term formed from cellulose plus -oid, meaning “resembling”; it named an early plastic substitute for ivory and tortoiseshell.”
Modern English
English
celluloid
“A historical plastic, especially associated with early photographic and motion-picture film.”