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oligomer

American  
[uh-lig-uh-mer] / əˈlɪg ə mər /

noun

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


oligomer British  
/ ɒˈlɪɡəmə /

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

oligomer Scientific  
/ ə-lĭgə-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.


Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of oligomer

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

To explore further, the researchers tested another simple liquid, styrene oligomer, with the same viscosity.

From Science Daily • Mar. 30, 2026

Their findings reveal a previously unknown dinucleotide binding pocket within the DnaA oligomer, where two bases of a repeating DnaA-trio sequence tightly bind, enabling the capture of a single DNA strand.

From Science Daily • Dec. 21, 2023

The paper provided an “important boost” to the amyloid and toxic oligomer hypotheses when they faced rising doubts, Südhof says.

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

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