Meaning & use
polymer clay
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountable
A soft, bendable modeling material made from plastic that becomes hard when baked in a low oven.
Grammar: No plural and no article: you shape polymer clay, not 'a polymer clay'.
Patterns
- polymer clay jewelry
- a block of polymer clay
- make something from polymer clay
She made tiny fruit charms from polymer clay and baked them for twenty minutes.
Polymer clay comes in dozens of colors, and you can mix two colors to make a new one.
The craft store sells polymer clay next to the beads and wire.
noununcountableinformal
The finished objects or craft activity of shaping and baking this material.
Grammar: Used like an activity noun: 'I do polymer clay' means I make things with it.
Patterns
- do polymer clay
- get into polymer clay
My aunt got into polymer clay last winter and now sells earrings online.
The workshop is for beginners who want to try polymer clay.
Common combinations
- bake polymer clay
- Bake polymer clay at the temperature printed on the package so it does not burn.
- soften polymer clay
- Warm the block in your hands to soften polymer clay before you roll it.
- polymer clay figure
- He sculpted a small polymer clay figure of a fox.
- a block of polymer clay
- She bought a block of polymer clay in bright green.
- polymer clay jewelry
- Polymer clay jewelry is popular because it is light and cheap to make.
Synonyms and how they differ
- modeling clay
- Modeling clay is softer and usually stays soft or air-dries; polymer clay must be heated to harden.
- playdough
- Playdough is a soft children's toy that dries out and cracks; it is not baked and is not used for lasting jewelry.
Word family
- polymer noun
- A large chemical molecule made of many small units joined together.
- polymeric adjective
- Relating to or made of polymers.
Commonly confused: polymer clay or clay?
polymer clay vs clay
Ordinary clay is natural earth that dries or is fired in a kiln; polymer clay is a plastic craft material baked in a kitchen oven.
Practice
Choose the sentence that uses 'polymer clay' correctly.
Choose one answer.
'Polymer clay' is uncountable, so it takes 'some' and has no plural. 'A polymer clay' and 'polymer clays' treat it as a countable object, which English does not do for this material.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “polymer clay”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.