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polymer
[ pol-uh-mer ]
/ ˈpɒl ə mər /
See the most commonly confused word associated with monomer
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noun Chemistry.
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.
a compound formed from two or more polymeric compounds.
a product of polymerization.
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Origin of polymer
OTHER WORDS FROM polymer
su·per·pol·y·mer, nounWords nearby polymer
polyisobutylene, polyisoprene, polylingual, polymath, polymathy, polymer, polymerase, polymeric, polymerism, polymerization, polymerize
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use polymer in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for polymer
polymer
/ (ˈpɒlɪmə) /
noun
Derived forms of polymer
polymerism (pəˈlɪməˌrɪzəm, ˈpɒlɪmə-), nounCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for polymer
polymer
[ pŏl′ə-mər ]
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.♦ The process by which molecules are linked together to form polymers is called polymerization (pŏl′ə-lĭm′ər-ĭ-zā′shən).
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for polymer
polymer
[ (pol-uh-muhr) ]
In chemistry, a long molecule made up of a chain of smaller, simpler molecules.
notes for polymer
Proteins and many carbohydrates, such as cellulose, are polymers. Plastics are also polymers.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.