monomer

noun
mono·​mer | \ ˈmä-nə-mər How to pronounce monomer (audio) \

Definition of monomer

: a chemical compound that can undergo polymerization

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Other Words from monomer

monomeric \ ˌmä-​nə-​ˈmer-​ik How to pronounce monomeric (audio) , ˌmō-​ \ adjective

Examples of monomer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The lignin work is particularly important because lignin’s monomers are composed of aromatic rings—the chemical structures that give some standard plastics their mechanical strength and other desirable features. Javier Garcia Martinez, Scientific American, "Bioplastics Could Solve a Major Pollution Problem," 1 July 2019 To make plastics from those substances, manufacturers must first break them into their building blocks, or monomers. Javier Garcia Martinez, Scientific American, "Bioplastics Could Solve a Major Pollution Problem," 1 July 2019 The letters of the alphabet, the monomers of hypothetical primordial chemistry, don’t occur with equal frequency. Quanta Magazine, "The Information Theory of Life," 19 Nov. 2015 The idea is to break those polymers down into individual links, or monomers. Eva Botkin-kowacki, The Christian Science Monitor, "Closing the loop on plastic recycling?," 5 July 2018 The resulting monomers can then be re-polymerized into a new moldable plastic resin. National Geographic, "Evian and Loop Industries: Starting a Revolution in Plastic Recycling," 13 June 2018 PUBLISHED June 13, 2018 Born from the powerful petrochemical fusion of monomers into polymers, plastic is one of the most ubiquitous and useful materials man has ever made. National Geographic, "Evian and Loop Industries: Starting a Revolution in Plastic Recycling," 13 June 2018 Those building blocks, which chemists call monomers, are made up of groups of atoms that are derived from natural products or by the synthesis of primary chemicals from oil, natural gas, or coal. National Geographic, "Plastics Explained, From A to Z," 16 May 2018 The additions, slated for completion during the next four years, are expected boost the company's annual production of PVC and vinyl chloride monomer by 750 million pounds and 200 million pounds, respectively. Katherine Blunt, Houston Chronicle, "Westlake Chemical to expand three plants in Louisiana and Germany," 19 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'monomer.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of monomer

1914, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for monomer

International Scientific Vocabulary

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More Definitions for monomer

monomer

noun
mono·​mer | \ ˈmän-ə-mər How to pronounce monomer (audio) \

Medical Definition of monomer

: a chemical compound that can undergo polymerization

Other Words from monomer

monomeric \ ˌmän-​ə-​ˈmer-​ik How to pronounce monomeric (audio) , ˌmō-​nə-​ How to pronounce monomeric (audio) \ adjective