polyvinylpyrrolidone

American

[pol-ee-vahyn-l-pi-roh-li-dohn, -rol-i-] / ˌpɒl iˌvaɪn l pɪˈroʊ lɪˌdoʊn, -ˈrɒl ɪ- /

noun

Chemistry.

a white, amorphous, water-soluble powder, (C 6 H 9 NO) n , used chiefly as a vehicle in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals.

First recorded in 1940–45; polyvinyl + pyrrole + -id ³ + -one

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