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

As the road wears over time, the particles that break away are made up of rock, asphalt binder, and polymer together rather than plastic by itself.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 28, 2026

Modern vinyl records are crafted with PVC resin, which makes up more than 75% of an average disk The synthetic polymer itself is made of chlorine and fossil fuel-derived feed stock.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026

A U.K. site using MMA to manufacture resin, a liquid or substance that turns into polymer, exploded and caused a fire in 2009.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 24, 2026

British polymer manufacturer Victrex last week said it would reduce its workforce by 10% while warning that its profits may fall below expectations due to the elevated costs of energy and raw materials.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 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

Early findings showed that pavement containing recycled polyethylene did not release more polymers than conventional SBS pavement.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 28, 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

Drone batteries rely on lithium polymers that can provide energy quickly.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 3, 2026

Instead, it creates filament networks just beneath the inner membrane, forming a layer of protein polymers that resembles a cell cortex.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 20, 2026

The tricky, unsolved thing is how to get the polymers to arrange in membranes and invent replication.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas