Main Entry: poly·mer

Pronunciation: \ˈpä-lə-mər\

Function: noun

Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary, back-formation from polymeric, from Greek polymerēs having many parts, from poly- + meros part — more at merit

Date: 1866

: a chemical compound or mixture of compounds formed by polymerization and consisting essentially of repeating structural units

— poly·mer·ic \ˌpä-lə-ˈmer-ik\ adjective

— poly·mer·ism \pə-ˈli-mə-ˌri-zəm, ˈpä-lə-mə-\ noun