polymer

noun

poly·​mer ˈpä-lə-mər 

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

polymeric

ˌpä-lə-ˈmer-ik 

adjective

polymerism

pə-ˈli-mə-ˌri-zəm  ˈpä-lə-mə- 

noun

polymerlike

ˈpä-lə-mər-ˌlīk 

adjective

Examples of polymer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Granite or quartz sinks are typically a mix of 70% or 80% granite or quartz and 20% or 30% polymer resin. —Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025

The patch's backbone is made of hyaluronic acid—a gooey polymer that's a common skincare ingredient—mixed with either antibacterial agents (including salicylic acid and Cannabis sativa extract) or anti-inflammatory agents (including niacinamide and chamomile extract). —Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025

The advance comes from blending semiconducting polymers with elastic rubber. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2025

The jelly ice packs can be tailored to any shape and are completely biodegradable, with no synthetic polymers. —ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary, back-formation from polymeric, from Greek polymerēs having many parts, from poly- + meros part — more at merit entry 1

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing polymer

• high polymer

Rhymes for polymer

• biopolymer
• homopolymer
• copolymer

Kids Definition

polymer

noun

poly·​mer ˈpäl-ə-mər 

: a chemical compound or mixture of compounds that is formed by combination of smaller molecules and consists basically of repeating structural units

polymeric

ˌpäl-ə-ˈmer-ik 

adjective

Medical Definition

polymer

noun

poly·​mer ˈpäl-ə-mər 

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