monolayer

noun

mono·​lay·​er ˈmä-nō-ˌlā-ər How to pronounce monolayer (audio)
-ˌler
: a single continuous layer or film that is one cell, molecule, or atom in thickness

Examples of monolayer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The benefits of the new material, called ultra-clean monolayer amorphous carbon (UC-MAC), are derived from its disordered ring structure, which contrasts with the perfect hexagonal rings in graphene. IEEE Spectrum, 18 Aug. 2025 The researchers started by synthesizing a material from monolayers of the semiconductors molybdenum diselenide and tungsten disulfide, which belong to a class of materials that past simulations had implied could exhibit Nagaoka-style magnetism. Michael Greshko, WIRED, 28 Jan. 2024 But most natural mosaics, from rock cracks to molecular monolayers, are not perfectly periodic tessellations. Elise Cutts, Quanta Magazine, 21 June 2023 The Langmuir–Blodgett monolayer doesn’t want to reorganize. Scientific American Custom Media, Scientific American, 29 July 2022 The research team tested five materials: graphene, which is a simple hexagonal array format of carbon; molybdenum sulfide in monolayer form, and three MOF membranes. Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 13 Dec. 2019 Researchers have since made monolayers of metals, semimetals, insulators and more, but magnetism was the final holdout. Sylvia Morrow, Discover Magazine, 1 Feb. 2018

Word History

First Known Use

1924, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of monolayer was in 1924

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Monolayer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monolayer. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.

Medical Definition

monolayer

noun
: a single continuous layer or film that is one cell or molecule in thickness
monolayering noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!