English Explanatory Dictionary

polymer

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A long or larger molecule consisting of a chain or network of many repeating units, formed by chemically bonding together many identical or similar small molecules called monomers. A polymer is formed by polymerization, the joining of many monomer molecules.
  2. A material consisting of such polymer molecules.

Pronunciation

/ˈpɒl.ɪ.mə/ /ˈpɑ.lɪ.mɚ/ /ˈpɑ.lə.mɚ/ en-us-polymer.ogg /ˈpɒl.ə.mɚ/ /ˈpɔl.ə.mə/ /ˈpɒl.ə.mə/ [ˈpɔ̟l.ə.mə]

Word forms

polymer polymers

Etymology

From poly- + -mer, from Ancient Greek πολύς (polús, “many”) + μέρος (méros, “part”). Coined by Jöns Jacob Berzelius in 1833, though his definition was quite different from the modern one.

Related words

multimer plastic

Derived words

autopolymer azopolymer biopolymer bipolymer block polymer ceramer colestipol copolymer exopolymer fluoropolymer geopolymer glycopolymer graft polymer halato-telechelic polymer halfmer heteropolymer hexapolymer homopolymer hydropolymer hydroxypolymer hyperpolymer inorganic polymer interpolymer intrapolymer lipopolymer macropolymer metallopolymer micropolymer monopolymer multipolymer nanopolymer oligopolymer photopolymer piezopolymer polymerase polymer chemistry polymeric polymerics polymeride polymerise polymerism polymerization polymerize polymerlike polymerogenic polymerone polymerous polymersome polyplex prepolymer ribopolymer silane-modified polymer star polymer stereospecific polymer superpolymer technopolymer terpolymer thermopolymer tribopolymer tripolymer
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