a naturally occurring or synthetic compound, such as starch or Perspex, that has large molecules made up of many relatively simple repeated units
Compare copolymer
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
pol•y•mer /ˈpɑləmɚ/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Chemistrya chemical compound formed by the addition of many smaller molecules.
pol•y•mer
(pol′ə mər),USA pronunciation n. [Chem.]
- Chemistrya compound of high molecular weight derived either by the addition of many smaller molecules, as polyethylene, or by the condensation of many smaller molecules with the elimination of water, alcohol, or the like, as nylon.
- Chemistrya compound formed from two or more polymeric compounds.
- Chemistrya product of polymerization. Cf. monomer.
- Greek polymeré̄s having many parts. See poly-, -mer
- 1865–70
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'polymer' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
-mer
- DNA polymerase
- FOS
- PET
- Plexiglas
- addition polymer
- asymmetric
- atactic
- biopolymer
- callose
- carboxymethylcellulose
- copolymer
- cross-link
- depolymerize
- dimer
- gel
- high polymer
- homopolymer
- implantable
- isotactic
- ladder polymer
- lignin
- macromolecule
- meta-
- monomer
- nytril
- oligomer
- para-
- paraformaldehyde
- photopolymer
- photoresist
- polyacrylamide
- polyacrylic acid
- polyacrylonitrile
- polyamide
- polybutadiene
- polycarbonate
- polycondensation
- polyester
- polyethylene
- polyfoam
- polyisobutylene
- polyisoprene
- polymerase
- polymeric
- polymerism
- polymerization
- polymerize
- polymerous
- polypropylene