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.

---

polyvinyl chloride British  

noun

1. the full name of PVC

---

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.

---

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 • Nov. 7, 2025

Thirty patients had polyvinyl chloride particles in their plaque.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 7, 2024

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

From Science Daily • Jan. 8, 2024

The bill would also phase out a list of “problematic and unnecessary” types of plastic and plastic additives, including polyvinyl chloride, a kind of plastic whose main ingredient is a human carcinogen.

From Salon • Nov. 2, 2023

It was used in heavy industry to render other compounds like refined gasoline or polyvinyl chloride for plastic pipe production.

From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin