Dictionary

polymer en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (California) audio
• /ˈpɒl.ə.mɚ/ (Canada, dialectal) of the US
• [ˈpɔ̟l.ə.mə] (New-Zealand)
• /ˈpɔl.ə.mə/ (Australia)
• /ˈpɑ.lə.mɚ/ (General-American, dialectal) of Canada
• /ˈpɒl.ɪ.mə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈpɑ.lɪ.mɚ/ (General-American, dialectal) of Canada
• /ˈpɒl.ə.mə/ (New-Zealand)

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.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) 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. (countable, uncountable) A material consisting of such polymer molecules.
   • The water absorbency of the anionically starch-grafted AA/AM absorbent is markedly affected by the pH of the buffer solution at different ionic strengths. The charge of the ionic monomer affects the pH sensitivity of the superabsorbent polymers. An acidic superabsorbent normally ionizes at high pH but unionizes at low pH. 2000 October 1, Suda Kiatkamjornwong, Wararuk Chomsaksakul, Manit Sonsuk, “Radiation modification of water absorption of cassava starch by acrylic acid/acrylamide”, in Radiation Physics and Chemistry, volume 59, number 4, →DOI, page 423:
   • Similar studies of rats have employed four different intracranial resorbable, slow sustained release systems—surgical foam, a thermal gel depot, a microcapsule or biodegradable polymer beads. 2013 May-June, Charles T. Ambrose, “Alzheimer’s Disease”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, page 200:

Forms

Coordinates

pentamer · hexamer · monomer · heptamer · nonamer · octamer · dimer · trimer · tetramer · decamer · septamer · oligomer

Deriveds

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

Hypernyms

compound · molecule

Hyponyms

exopolymer · glycopolymer · technopolymer · piezopolymer · photopolymer · multipolymer · oligopolymer · star polymer · micropolymer · hydroxypolymer · graft polymer · intrapolymer · metallopolymer · ribopolymer · geopolymer · lipopolymer · heteropolymer · thermopolymer · block polymer · macropolymer · tribopolymer · hydropolymer · nanopolymer · terpolymer · interpolymer · hyperpolymer · homopolymer · biopolymer · monopolymer · inorganic polymer · stereospecific polymer · tripolymer · copolymer

Relateds

plastic · multimer

Translations (51)

kmr aloz (molecule) · bg полиме́р (molecule) · bg полиме́р (material) · pl polimer (molecule) · th พอลิเมอร์ (molecule) · id polimer (molecule) · sv polymer (molecule) · kmr polîmer (molecule) · es polímero (molecule) · tr polimer (molecule) · cmn 聚合體 /聚合体 (molecule) · cs polymer (molecule) · fi polymeeri (molecule) · fa پلیمر (molecule) · mn полимер (molecule) · eo polimero (molecule) · ja 重合体 (molecule) · fr polymère (molecule) · de Polymer (molecule) · et polümeer (molecule) · pt polímero (molecule) · kmr molekula aloz (molecule) · ru полиме́р (molecule) · hy պոլիմեր (molecule) · zza polimerit (material) · mi waerau (molecule) · hu polimer (molecule) · is fjölliða (molecule) · vi hợp chất cao phân tử (molecule) · nb polymer (molecule) · fi polymeeri (material) · ar بُولِيمَر (molecule) · ja 高分子 (molecule) · kk полимер (molecule) · sw polima (material) · fa بسپار (molecule) · nn polymer (molecule) · el πολυμερές (molecule) · uk поліме́р (molecule) · sh polimer (molecule) · ka პოლიმერი (molecule) · ca polímer (molecule) · pl polimer (material) · nl polymeer (molecule) · ms polimer (molecule) · it polimero (molecule) · ro polimer (molecule) · sw polima (molecule) · be паліме́р (molecule) · zza polimer (molecule) · sh полимер (molecule)