polystyrene

noun

poly·​sty·​rene ˌpä-lē-ˈstī-ˌrēn How to pronounce polystyrene (audio)
: a polymer of styrene
especially : a rigid transparent thermoplastic that has good physical and electrical insulating properties and is used especially in molded products, foams, and sheet materials

Examples of polystyrene in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web On the right are shelves containing large polystyrene boxes. Sandra Upson, WIRED, 25 July 2024 In the backdrop, the entire studio space is a hive of quiet activity with crew members getting ready for the afternoon shoot, while another 120 production workers build sets and props, with a handful of artists chiselling gargoyles and fake masonry out of polystyrene blocks. Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 17 July 2024 The book features the Fletchers, a Jewish-American family whose progenitor fled Poland during the Holocaust, and who have since become devastatingly rich off a code-violating polystyrene factory. Luna Adler, Vogue, 3 July 2024 Carl’s father, Zelig Fletcher, fled to New York from Poland in 1942, with nothing to his name but a formula for polystyrene and the knowledge that, for Jews like him, money and family could disappear with no warning. Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 1 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for polystyrene 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'polystyrene.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of polystyrene was in 1927

Dictionary Entries Near polystyrene

Cite this Entry

“Polystyrene.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polystyrene. Accessed 11 Sep. 2024.

Kids Definition

polystyrene

noun
poly·​sty·​rene ˌpäl-i-ˈstī(ə)r-ˌēn How to pronounce polystyrene (audio)
: a stiff transparent plastic used chiefly in molded products, foams, and sheet materials

Medical Definition

polystyrene

noun
poly·​sty·​rene ˌpäl-i-ˈstī(ə)r-ˌēn How to pronounce polystyrene (audio)
: a polymer of styrene
especially : a rigid transparent thermoplastic that has good physical and electrical insulating properties and is used especially in molded products, foams, and sheet materials

More from Merriam-Webster on polystyrene

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