Polyethylene Meaning
/pˌɑˌliˈɛθəˌlin/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA polymer consisting of many ethylene monomers bonded together; used for kitchenware, containers etc.
Sentence Examples
Cling film is made from polyethylene.
The content of that polyethylene bottle is cloudy and yellowish. Could it be urine?
CEFR Practice Quiz
Grocery store bags are often made from a lightweight plastic called ____.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The packaging was made from high-density ____, a lightweight and durable plastic material.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁- Proto-Indo-European *polh₁ús Ancient Greek πολῠ́ς (polŭ́s)lbor. English poly- Proto-Indo-European *h₂eydʰ-der. Proto-Hellenic *áitʰō Ancient Greek αἴθω (aíthō) ▲ Ancient Greek ᾱ̓ήρ (āḗr)influ.? Ancient Greek αἰθήρ (aithḗr)der. Latin aethērbor. German Äther German Ether Proto-Indo-European *swel-der.? Ancient Greek ῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)der. German -yl German Ethylbor. English ethyl English eth- English -ylene English ethylene English polyethylene From poly- + ethylene.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"For eons, the debris has contained the same things — flecks from plant and animal carcasses, feces, mucus, dust, microbes, viruses — and transported the ocean’s carbon to be stored on the seafloor. Increasingly, however, marine snowfall is being infiltrated by microplastics: fibers and fragments of polyamide, polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate. And this fauxfall appears to be altering our planet’s ancient cooling process."
— 2022 April 3, Sabrina Imbler, “In the Ocean, It’s Snowing Microplastics”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 05 Apr 2022:
"The most abundant chemical in the plastics is polyethylene, which is used for single-use packaging, plastic bags and containers such as bottles."
— 2023 June 5, Yvonne Gordon, “Microplastics found in every sample of water taken during Ocean Race”, in The Guardian:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
Grocery store bags are often made from a lightweight plastic called ____.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The packaging was made from high-density ____, a lightweight and durable plastic material.