oligomer

American  

[uh-lig-uh-mer] / əˈlɪg ə mər /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a polymer molecule consisting of a small number of monomers.

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oligomer British  

/ ɒˈlɪɡəmə /

noun

1. a compound of relatively low molecular weight containing up to five monomer units Compare polymer copolymer

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oligomer Scientific  

/ ə-lĭg′ə-mər /

1. A molecule that consists of a relatively small and specifiable number of monomers (usually less than five). Unlike a polymer, if one of the monomers is removed from an oligomer, its chemical properties are altered.

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Other Word Forms

• oligomeric
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of oligomer

First recorded in 1965–70; oligo- + -mer

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

oligomer

The researchers also compared a simple liquid, oligomer styrene, with a related polymer liquid.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 30, 2026

"We identified a distinct amyloid beta oligomer subtype that appears inside neurons and on nearby reactive astrocytes very early in the disease," Kranz said.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 22, 2025

In the 16 years following the landmark paper, Lesné and Ashe—separately or jointly—published many articles on their stellar oligomer.

From Science Magazine ● Jul. 20, 2022

Like other anti-Aβ efforts, toxic oligomer research has spawned no effective therapies.

From Science Magazine ● Jul. 20, 2022

A 2013 study found that the oligomer concentration of the ‘haloes’ that surround plaques could be used to distinguish the brains of people with dementia from those without who had a similar plaque burden4.

From Nature ● Jul. 24, 2018