Polymer
/ˈpɒl.i.mər/noun
A substance made of very large molecules formed by linking many smaller units together.
Did you know?Polymer comes from Greek πολυμερής (polymers), but the modern scientific term was popularized in the 19th century by chemist Jöns Jacob Berzelius to describe substances with the same composition but different molecular sizes—long before we understood macromolecules.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
πολύς (polys) + μέρος (meros)
“many + part”
Late Greek
Greek
πολυμερής (polymerēs)
“having many parts; composite”
1830s
German/French scientific Latin
polymer
“a chemical substance related to another by the same elemental composition but different molecular weight”
Modern English
English
polymer
“a large molecule made of repeating structural units”
Explore more surprising origins