nitinol
nounUK /ˈnɪtɪnɒl/
US /ˈnɪtɪnɔːl/
Nitinol is a special metal that can remember its shape and go back to it when it gets warm.
The glasses frames are made of nitinol, so they bend but spring back into shape.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A nickel-titanium alloy used in medical devices such as stents and orthodontic wires.
Doctors use nitinol stents because they expand gently inside blood vessels.
3. A material studied in engineering for its superelastic and damping properties.
Engineers tested nitinol for use in flexible aircraft parts.
4. A trademarked name that has become a general term for nickel-titanium shape-memory alloys.
Many manufacturers now sell nitinol under different brand names.