monomer

American  

[mon-uh-mer] / ˈmɒn ə mər /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a molecule of low molecular weight capable of reacting with identical or different molecules of low molecular weight to form a polymer.

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monomer British  

/ ˈmɒnəmə, ˌmɒnəˈmɛrɪk /

noun

1. chem a compound whose molecules can join together to form a polymer

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monomer Scientific  

/ mŏn′ə-mər /

1. A molecule that can combine with others of the same kind to form a polymer. Glucose molecules, for example, are monomers that can combine to form the polymer cellulose. Polymers can also be composed of different kinds of monomers.

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Other Word Forms

• monomeric adjective

Etymology

Origin of monomer

First recorded in 1910–15; mono- + -mer

Compare meaning

How does monomer compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• monomer vs. polymer

Example Sentences

Detailed chemical analyses showed that MPs DOM contains a wide range of molecules derived from plastic additives, monomers, oligomers, and fragments formed through photo oxidized reactions.

From Science Daily

Each unit in the chain is called a monomer, and linking these monomers creates a polymer.

From Science Daily

In experiments, the team recycled the leftover carbon black and styrene monomer into polystyrene, demonstrating the circularity of the new method.

From Science Daily

Polyolefins are produced by combining small chain links, or monomers, of ethylene or propylene, which are typically obtained from oil and natural gas.

From Los Angeles Times

In this study, the researchers synthesized PSPBs with different molecular weights and added varying amounts of hydrophobic monomers individually and with different alkyl chains through a process known as reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization.

From Science Daily