A trademarked synthetic polymer (polytetrafluoroethylene) known for its non-stick properties, commonly used to coat cookware. Also used metaphorically to describe someone who avoids blame or criticism.
Coined by DuPont chemist Roy Plunkett in 1938, combining 'tetra-' (four) + 'fluor-' (fluorine) + '-on' (chemical suffix). Accidentally discovered while researching refrigerants.
Teflon was initially so expensive and difficult to work with that it was only used in the Manhattan Project for uranium enrichment equipment. It took decades before engineers figured out how to make it stick to pans - quite ironic for a non-stick material!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.