polyvinyl chloride

American  

noun

Chemistry.

1. a white, water-insoluble, thermoplastic resin, derived by the polymerization of vinyl chloride: used chiefly for thin coatings, insulation, and pipings.

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polyvinyl chloride British  

noun

1. the full name of PVC

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polyvinyl chloride Scientific  

/ pŏl′ē-vī′nəl /

1. A synthetic resin, composed of repeating units of vinyl chloride (C ₂ H ₃ Cl). Polyvinyl chloride is very versatile and is used in a wide variety of products, including rainwear, garden hoses, audio discs, and floor tiles.

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Etymology

Origin of polyvinyl chloride

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

Customers are increasingly being lured by brands like TimberTech, which dispense with wood altogether in favor of polyvinyl chloride patterned to resemble mahogany, teak, or hickory.

From Barron's

Thirty patients had polyvinyl chloride particles in their plaque.

From Los Angeles Times

Other common plastics the researchers found: polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride and polymethyl methacrylate, all used in various industrial processes.

From Science Daily

Other plastics confirmed in the water in microscopic quantities include polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride and polymethyl methacrylate, also known as plexiglass.

From Los Angeles Times

The intense heat has also melted portions of a gas collection system, which consists of long polyvinyl chloride pipes that vacuum out methane and odorous sulfur gases.

From Los Angeles Times