Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A polymerized thermoplastic ethylene resin, used especially for containers, kitchenware, and tubing, or in the form of films and sheets for packaging.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun organic chemistry A polymer consisting of many ethylene monomers bonded together; used for kitchenware, containers etc.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a lightweight thermoplastic; used especially in packaging and insulation

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

poly- +‎ ethylene

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Examples

  • Until now, however, there has been one major drawback -- they are traditionally made with a high percentage of virgin polyethylene plastic resin.

    10 posts from August 2008 2008

  • Until now, however, there has been one major drawback -- they are traditionally made with a high percentage of virgin polyethylene plastic resin.

    Globe Guard Recycled Inflatable Air Pillows 2008

  • I've got PhpBB 3.0.5 installed with a forum theme called polyethylene which I got it from here.

    phpBB.com potku 2009

  • I've got PhpBB 3.0.5 installed with a forum theme called polyethylene which I got it from here.

    phpBB.com DT44 2009

  • Mr. Gott is currently experimenting with PET bottles aka polyethylene terephthalate, a recycled plastic used for cheap wines in Europe but says it's been a challenge: It's hard to make the PET bottle look large enough.

    Paper or Plastic? Wine by the Box, Keg and Can Lettie Teague 2011

  • The shape of the windpipe—or trachea—was molded, using a computer scan of the patient's own trachea, from a porous medical plastic called polyethylene glycol, then infused with cells from the patient in a bioreactor.

    How Close Are We to 'Printing' New Organs? Matt Ridley 2011

  • The basic materials are paper, aluminum, and a plastic called polyethylene, or LDPE.

    Enviroblog: Why, oh why is there plastic in my aluminum water bottle? Archives 2009

  • The mayor - and the journalists who dutifully conveyed his fears to the public - seemed oblivious to the fact that plastic bottles do not contain phthalates; they are, instead, made with a polyester called polyethylene terephthalate, which is something quite different even though it seems to sound similar.

    Trevor Butterworth: The Worst Science Stories of 2007 2008

  • Most plastic bags are made from polyethylene, which is made from crude oil and natural gas, nonrenewable resources.

    Archive 2008-03-01 Dave 2008

  • The second refinement is a product called polyethylene glycol PEG interferon, which is given to the patient once a week.

    DR. SANJIV CHOPRA’S LIVER BOOK Sanjiv Chopra 2001

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