polymer

American  

[pol-uh-mer] / ˈpɒl ə mər /

noun

Chemistry.

polymers plural

1. a compound of high molecular weight derived either by the addition of many smaller molecules, as polyethylene, or by the condensation of many smaller molecules with the elimination of water, alcohol, or the like, as nylon.

2. a compound formed from two or more polymeric compounds.

3. a product of polymerization.

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polymer British  

/ ˈpɒlɪmə, ˈpɒlɪmə-, pəˈlɪməˌrɪzəm /

noun

1. a naturally occurring or synthetic compound, such as starch or Perspex, that has large molecules made up of many relatively simple repeated units Compare copolymer oligomer

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polymer Scientific  

/ pŏl′ə-mər /

1. Any of various chemical compounds made of smaller, identical molecules (called monomers) linked together. Some polymers, like cellulose, occur naturally, while others, like nylon, are artificial. Polymers have extremely high molecular weights, make up many of the tissues of organisms, and have extremely varied and versatile uses in industry, such as in making plastics, concrete, glass, and rubber.

2. ◆ The process by which molecules are linked together to form polymers is called polymerization (pŏl′ə-lĭm′ər-ĭ-zā|||PRIMARY_STRESS|||shən).

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polymer Cultural  

1. In chemistry, a long molecule made up of a chain of smaller, simpler molecules.

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Discover More

Proteins and many carbohydrates, such as cellulose, are polymers. Plastics are also polymers.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• polymerism
  noun
• superpolymer
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• polymers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of polymer

First recorded in 1865–70, polymer is from the Greek word polymerḗs having many parts. See poly-, -mer

Compare meaning

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

• monomer vs. polymer

Explanation

A polymer is a very large, chain-like molecule made up of monomers, which are small molecules. It can be naturally occurring or synthetic. What's a mer? — you might ask. Well, it means "part," and it works only as a suffix. Since poly- means "many," a polymer means "many parts." You'll find polymers everywhere: they're what make spandex stretch and sneakers bounce. They're the plastic drink bottles that you're always careful to recycle. Natural polymers include leather, rubber, and even the cellulose in your french fries and the protein in your chicken nuggets.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

polymer polymers

Plus, on all foldables, that interior screen comes with trade-offs: The flexible panel has a soft polymer top layer that can be easily punctured.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

They are any type of polymer or plastic less than five millimeters—about the size of a sesame seed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

Known as living plastics, these materials contain dormant microbes capable of degrading the surrounding polymer.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026

Testing showed that the membranes could distinguish between molecules that differ by only 100-200 Daltons, a level of precision that is extremely difficult to achieve with conventional polymer membranes.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 12, 2026

Back in the shillelagh days, there were no fancy polymer harnesses, no auto thrusters, and certainly no external monitors.

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer

Sometimes known as "Doctor Death", he became famous for developing a technique called plastination, by which fluids and fatty tissue in corpses are replaced by rubber and polymers.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

MMA is a highly reactive chemical, a monomer that can be used to make polymers of hard, durable, lightweight and transparent plastics.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026

Their rigid structure allows them to anchor within soft polymers, adding strength while maintaining a reliable conductive network.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 31, 2026

Golf balls’ outer layer and inner core are made from synthetic polymers, which are created from chemicals often derived from petroleum.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 21, 2026

There are polymers that will fit the receptors of one line of guinea pigs or mice but not others; there are responders and nonresponders.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas