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Glite Dictionary
vulcanite

vulcanite

9.9
A hard kind of rubber used to make false teeth and combs
  • noun
  • /ˈvʌlkəˌnaɪt/
  • Archaic
translation icon : vulcanita
  • The dentist used vulcanite to create a durable denture that fits perfectly in the patient's mouth.

Examples

  • The rubber seal was made from vulcanite, ensuring it would last for many years without degrading.

  • Manufacturers prefer vulcanite for its strength and resistance to wear in various industrial applications.

  • And here, only seven years after the patent, we find Goodyear's Vulcanite court where he's pushing the the beauties of rubber.

  • "Azzie went to the door and threw back its massy bolts, twice-forced of vulcanite steel.

    Fiction book (1991)

Synonyms

hard rubber
vsvulcanite
  • Specialized
1 4.6

A very hard material made from tree sap and heated to become stiff, used for pen barrels or handles

is used mainly in dentistry rather than electrical applications
ebonite
vsvulcanite
  • Specialized
9.9

A hard black rubber that is treated with sulfur and used for electrical insulation and pens

uses lower sulfur levels rather than very high sulfur content

How Hard

metal
840 1.1
vulcanite
  • Archaic
9.9
plastic
798 1.0
rubber
230 1.0

Surface Forms

vulcanite singular
vulcanites plural

Morphology

vulcanite = Vulcan (semi-transparent) = vulcan + ite

The word names a product formed by the process 'vulcanization' (from Vulcan), so the relation to the base is clear to those who know the technical term but not to general learners.

Etymology

Vulcanite comes from vulcanize, a name taken from Vulcan, the Roman god of 'fire', because heat and sulfur are used to make rubber hard. So vulcanite simply means hard, treated rubber used for things like dentures and mouthpieces.