BharatNotes Polymer
noun (also used attributively, e.g. "polymer chemistry")/ˈpɒlɪmər/
A large molecule (macromolecule) composed of many repeating structural units called monomers, bonded together by covalent chemical bonds.
Usage in a UPSC answer
India's push for a circular economy hinges on weaning packaging industries off single-use synthetic polymers, whose persistence in soil and waterways imposes ecological costs that markets alone seldom internalise.
Synonyms
macromoleculepolymeric compoundplasticresinpolymeride
Antonyms
monomermonomeric compound
Word Family
polymeric (adj), polymerize (v), polymerization (n), polymerism (n), polymerous (adj)
Root
Greek polus = many; meros = part; coined by Berzelius 1833
Etymology
From Greek polus (many) + meros (part); the term was coined by Swedish chemist Jons Jacob Berzelius in 1833.
Memory Hook
POLY ("many") + MER (Greek meros, "part") = a chain of MANY PARTS — like many beads strung into one necklace.
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