shape-memory alloy
nounUK /ˌʃeɪp ˈmeməri ˈælɔɪ/
US /ˌʃeɪp ˈmeməri ˈælɔɪ/
A shape-memory alloy is a special metal that can go back to its first shape when it gets warm.
The glasses frame is made of a shape-memory alloy, so it bends back into place when you warm it.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A metal that changes shape with temperature and can be used to move things.
Engineers used a shape-memory alloy to open the tiny valve when it got hot.
3. A material used in medical devices that springs back to a set shape inside the body.
The stent is made from a shape-memory alloy that expands once it warms up.
4. A smart material that remembers a shape set during heating.
The robot's gripper uses a shape-memory alloy to close and open its fingers.