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polyacrylonitrile

American  
[pol-ee-ak-ruh-loh-nahy-tril, -treel, -trahyl] / ˌpɒl iˌæk rə loʊˈnaɪ trɪl, -tril, -traɪl /

noun

Chemistry.

  1. a polymer of acrylonitrile used in the manufacture of Orlon and other synthetic textiles.

Etymology

Origin of polyacrylonitrile

First recorded in 1930–35; poly- + acrylonitrile

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.

Made of polyacrylonitrile, these nanofibres seem to defy logic — the thinner they get, the stronger and tougher they become.

From Nature

More than 90 percent of carbon fibers use the petroleum-based precursor polyacrylonitrile, or PAN, as their raw material.

From Scientific American

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.