polyester

American  

[pol-ee-es-ter, pol-ee-es-ter] / ˈpɒl iˌɛs tər, ˌpɒl iˈɛs tər /

noun

1. Chemistry. a polymer in which the monomer units are linked together by the group –COO–, usually formed by polymerizing a polyhydric alcohol with a polybasic acid: used chiefly in the manufacture of resins, plastics, and textile fibers.

2. Also called poly.  a fabric made from such textile fibers.

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polyester British  

/ ˌpɒlɪˈɛstə /

noun

1. any of a large class of synthetic materials that are polymers containing recurring -COO- groups: used as plastics, textile fibres, and adhesives

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polyester Scientific  

/ pŏl′ē-ĕs′tər /

1. Any of various mostly synthetic polymers that are light, strong resins resistant to weather and corrosion. Polyesters are long chains of esters and are used to make fibers and plastics. They are thermosetting. Some polyesters, such as suberin, occur naturally.

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Other Word Forms

• polyesterification noun

Etymology

Origin of polyester

First recorded in 1925–30; poly- + ester

Example Sentences

Similarly, the polyester film in those shiny foil party balloons is also made from crude oil.

From The Wall Street Journal

The swish of polyester skirts in spring pastels — lavender, mint, butter-yellow — as the women of the church organized the spread.

From Salon

Later that decade it could have paid for the polyester duds John Travolta sported in “Saturday Night Fever.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Caden Zrubek, 25, made the change after struggling with Lyme disease and exposure to toxic mold, and remains concerned about the potential impact of polyester on health and fertility.

From The Wall Street Journal

But cranks like him seem especially at home in the 1970s — the mad-as-hell decade — when their polyester button-downs make them look extra itchy around the collar.

From Los Angeles Times