polyvinyl alcohol

American

noun

Chemistry.

a colorless, water-soluble, thermoplastic resin, derived by the hydrolysis of polyvinyl acetate: used chiefly as an adhesive and as a sizing agent in the manufacture of textiles, paper, and plastics.

Etymology

Origin of polyvinyl alcohol

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

polyvinyl alcohol

They blended it with modified starch and bentonite nanoclay, then added glycerol and polyvinyl alcohol to improve durability and flexibility.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 28, 2026

The petition urges the agency to require health and environmental safety tests for polyvinyl alcohol, also known as PVA or PVOH, which encases the pods.

From Washington Post ● Nov. 15, 2022

Zhang’s trick was to add polyvinyl alcohol to the piperazine, further lowering its diffusion rate and allowing it to act as the activator to the trimesoyl chloride’s inhibitor.

From Nature ● May 2, 2018

The device is made from nanoscale meshes containing a water-soluble polymer called polyvinyl alcohol and a layer of gold.

From New York Times ● Jul. 20, 2017

The sculptures are made out of sand from the Weymouth area and sprayed with a light polyvinyl alcohol.

From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2013

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