plaˈstisəd.ē, -sətē, -i noun
( -es )
1. : the quality or state of being plastic : capacity for being molded or altered
the great adaptability and plasticity of man — Curt Stern
2. : the ability to retain a shape attained by pressure deformation ; specifically : the ability of particles to be displaced relatively to one another without at the same time being removed from their sphere of attraction — compare elasticity
3. : the capacity of organisms with the same genotype to vary in developmental pattern, in phenotype, or in behavior according to varying environmental conditions
ants exhibit plasticity in building habits — Ecology