elastic

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. adj. Easily resuming original shape after being stretched or expanded; flexible. See Synonyms at flexible.
2. adj. Springy; rebounding.
3. adj. Physics Returning to or capable of returning to an initial form or state after deformation.
4. adj. Quick to recover, as from disappointment: an elastic spirit.
5. adj. Capable of adapting to change or a variety of circumstances.
6. n. A flexible stretchable fabric made with interwoven strands of rubber or an imitative synthetic fiber.
7. n. An object made of this fabric.
8. n. A rubber band.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. Serving, as a catapult, to hurl missiles by the force of a spring.
2. Having, as a solid body, the power of returning to the form from which it is bent, extended, pressed, pulled, or distorted, as soon as the force applied is removed; having, as a fluid, the property of recovering its former volume after compression. A body is perfectly elastic when it has the property of resisting a given deformation equally, however that deformation may have been produced, whether slowly or suddenly, etc. All bodies, however, have different elasticities at different temperatures, and if the deformation is so sudden as to change the temperature of the body and so alter its resistance to deformation, this is not considered as showing it to be imperfectly elastic.
3. Figuratively Admitting of extension; capable of expanding and contracting, according to circumstances; hence, yielding and accommodating: as, an elastic conscience; elastic principles.
4. Possessing the power or quality of recovering from depression or exhaustion; able to resist a depressing or exhausting influence; capable of sustaining shocks without permanent injury: as, elastic spirits.
5. n. A piece or strip of india-rubber, or of webbing or belting made elastic by the incorporation of india-rubber, used as a band, garter, or the like. [U. S.]

Wiktionary

1. adj. Capable of stretching; particularly, capable of stretching so as to return to an original shape or size when force is released.
2. adj. Made of elastic.
3. adj. Of clothing, elasticated.
4. adj. Sensitive to changes in price.
5. n. An elastic material used in clothing, particularly in waistbands and cuffs.
6. n. An elastic band.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. adj. Springing back; having a power or inherent property of returning to the form from which a substance is bent, drawn, pressed, or twisted; springy; having the power of rebounding
2. adj. Able to return quickly to a former state or condition, after being depressed or overtaxed; having power to recover easily from shocks and trials
3. n. An elastic woven fabric, as a belt, braces or suspenders, etc., made in part of India rubber.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a fabric made of yarns containing an elastic material
2. n. a narrow band of elastic rubber used to hold things (such as papers) together
3. adj. able to adjust readily to different conditions
4. adj. capable of resuming original shape after stretching or compression; springy.