bakelite
|beɪ-kə-laɪt|
/ˈbeɪkəˌlaɪt/
early hard synthetic plastic
Etymology
'bakelite' originates from the surname 'Baekeland' (the inventor Leo Baekeland) combined with the English suffix '-ite' used for materials; the name was coined as a trade name for the new resin.
'bakelite' was coined in the early 20th century (Baekeland patented the material in 1907) from Leo 'Baekeland's' name, becoming the trade name and then the common name 'bakelite'.
Initially, it referred specifically to the patented phenol-formaldehyde resin produced by Baekeland; over time it has come to denote that class of early hard phenolic plastics more generally.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a hard, dense synthetic plastic (a phenol–formaldehyde resin) — the first commercially successful synthetic plastic — used for electrical insulators, radio and telephone casings, jewelry, buttons, and other items.
The old telephone had a bakelite handset.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Adjective 1
made of or resembling bakelite; describing objects manufactured from or imitating this material.
She collects bakelite jewelry from the 1940s.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/02 23:15