film

n. [ AS. film skin, fr. fell skin; akin to fylmen membrane, OFries. filmene skin. See Fell skin. ] 1. A thin skin; a pellicle; a membranous covering, causing opacity. [ 1913 Webster ]

He from thick films shall purge the visual ray. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. hence, any thin layer covering a surface. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

3. A slender thread, as that of a cobweb. [ 1913 Webster ]

Her whip of cricket's bone, the lash of film. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Photog.) The layer, usually of gelatin or collodion, containing the sensitive salts of photographic plates. [ PJC ]

5. (Photog.) a flexible sheet of celluloid or other plastic material to which a light-sensitive layer has been applied, used for recording images by the processes of photography. It is commonly used in rolls mounted within light-proof canisters suitable for simple insertion into cameras designed for such canisters. On such rolls, varying numbers of photographs may be taken before the canister needs to be replaced. [ PJC ]

6. a motion picture. [ PJC ]

7. the art of making motion pictures; -- used mostly in the phrase the film. [ PJC ]

8. a thin transparent sheet of plastic, used for wrapping objects; as, polyethylene film. [ PJC ]

Celluloid film (Photog.), a thin flexible sheet of celluloid, coated with a sensitized emulsion of gelatin, and used as a substitute for photographic plates. --
Cut film (Photog.), a celluloid film cut into pieces suitable for use in a camera. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]