terephthalate

noun

tere·​phthal·​ate ˌter-ə(f)-ˈtha-ˌlāt 

: a salt or ester of terephthalic acid

especially : a dimethyl-ester that is a major starting material for polyester fibers and coatings

Examples of terephthalate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Min and his colleagues examined various microplastics—including polystyrene, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate. — Payal Dhar, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026

Its fabrics use fibers made from post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, according to Indorama Ventures. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026

The tweak lets the enzyme devour polyethylene terephthalate (PET) at nearly twice its normal speed, without melting under heat. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2026

The region imports around 70% of its supply of naphtha, a petrochemical feedstock used to produce polymers like polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), from the Middle East. — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 6 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for terephthalate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate